THE future for Joe Cordina now lies in the lightweight division but he admits whoever he fights needs to give him the fear factor.
Three months ago the Welshman lost his IBF super-featherweight world title to Northern Irelandโs Anthony Cacace. Going into the fight Cordina was well aware of the threats the big punching Belfast man possessed and by the eighth round the challengerโs power proved too much for the brave Cordina.
Cordina told Boxing News that he should have left 130lbs long ago but doesnโt want to dwell on the past. Instead, the 32-year-old is looking to the future which means moving up to a 135lbs weight class where Gervonta Davis, Vasily Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson and Denys Berinchyk hold the world titles with dangerman William Zepeda closing in on a shot of his own.
โIf thereโs a world title there and it can be made [then] why not,” Cordina said.
โFighting a champion youโve always got nerves, that little bit of fear in losing. My fear of losing is massive. That fear of losing, of fighting another champion, thatโs what I wanna feel, thatโs what would bring out the best in me. Iโd happily jump in with the champions: Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson, โTankโ Davis and Berinchyk. Give me 10 to 12 weeks and Iโd jump in with them.”
Lomachenko is believed to be not fighting again until 2025, Stevenson is still a free agent and could be fighting Zepeda next, โTankโ business is quiet and Berinchyk has a target on his back. A world title fight for Cordina may not happen right away and instead he may have to make do with something on a smaller scale until an opportunity arises.
โIf I have to go down the rigmarole then it has to be that way,โ he said.
Cordina, however, doesnโt believe it will be difficult to manoeuvre himself into landing a lightweight world title shot. But should he need to face fellow contenders along the way he wants to be accurately rewarded for doing so.
โIf you wanna be the best youโve got to beat the best and if that means Iโve got to fight people along the way to get to it then thatโs it,” Cordina said.
“But I donโt wanna be fighting all these top fighters and not getting paid [well] for it. It seems like everyone is getting paid. Iโm a two-time world champion, I want to be paid to jump into these fights as well. As long as I get paid Iโll fight anyone.โ