Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk was supposed to have unfolded a week ago today, with two other championship bouts on the undercard – featuring the return of IBF super-featherweight world titlist Joe Cordina. While the three-month delay complicates matters out of his control, the Welshman has been clear on his stance should he be unable to secure unification bouts at 130lbs.
Cordina considering lightweight move after Cacace bout
IBF super-featherweight world title: Joe Cordina (c) vs. Anthony Cacace
A featured bout on the Fury-Usyk undercard, rescheduled for May 18
Scheduled to take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
JOE Cordina has confirmed his upcoming title defence vs. IBO world super-featherweight champion Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs) will be his final fight at 130lbs, unless a unification with one of the other world champions can be promptly agreed.
The IBF super-featherweight world champion, 32, was set to defend his title last weekend on the undercard for the undisputed heavyweight world championship clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
News filtered through on social media two weeks before fight night that Fury sustained a severe cut in sparring and the date has since been postponed until May 18, meaning all those undercard boxers – including unbeaten cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia – have indirectly suffered from the same delays too.
Having edged out a majority decision win over Edward Vasquez in Monte-Carlo on November 4, the Welshman was hoping to have an active 2024 campaign and this has naturally offset his rhythm. Talking to BBC Radio Wales Sport, he said:
“It’s tough when a fight falls through, it was a nightmare.
I am plodding along, obviously disappointed but trying to keep busy, my mind occupied and stop myself veering off, eating rubbish. It’s a bit of a kick in the shins – have to do a horrible camp again, having already done one – this was a good one, best sparring, now we have to reset and go again.”
Cordina first won a version of the world title rather spectacularly on home soil in Cardiff, icing Japan’s Kenichi Ogawa with a perfect right-hand during the second-round of their contest in June 2022. That prompted this social media reaction:
Cordina sustained a hand injury and was unable to fulfill his mandatory obligation in time – having been given a 90-day exception – so the sanctioning body stripped him, as Shavkat Rakhimov survived danger before overwhelming Cordina’s domestic rival Zelfa Barrett on the Bivol-Ramirez undercard in Abu Dhabi later that year.
Cordina watched ringside and was installed as the next challenger when healthy, combining to produce a Fight of the Year contender last April as he edged a split decision win over 12 gruelling rounds against Rakhimov in Cardiff. Unification bouts were not forthcoming, despite WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster calling his name.
Since then, Lamont Roach Jr scored a split decision win over Hector Luis Garcia to win the WBA title while divisional figurehead Emanuel Navarrete’s sluggish start wasn’t enough for 2016 Olympic gold medallist Robson Conceicao to snatch the WBO strap from him in a thrilling majority draw during a busy month of November.
World champions… the state of play at lightweight
WBC: Shakur Stevenson, just won the title vs. Edwin De Los Santos
WBA: Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin (late spring/early summer)
IBF: George Kambosos Jr vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko (May 12)
WBO: Denis Berinchyk vs. Emanuel Navarrete (May 18)
The Cacace of it all
- Cordina accepts he’s getting “paid very well” for the world title matchup in the Middle East, but also adds: “Anthony Cacace is a bit of a frustrating fight for me… it’s not the fight people probably wanted or expected. He’s a great fighter but I don’t want to just keep defending my title.”
- Time waits for no man: “I was chasing the other title holders, but it hasn’t happened yet. If I can’t get a unification fight, I will go up [to lightweight]. I’m not getting any younger, the big money fights are at the weight above.”
- Inactive and getting older: Belfast-born southpaw Cacace has only boxed three times since edging a SD12 win over unbeaten foe Sam Bowen to win the British title in November 2019, is 35 and this is his biggest career bout
Before outpointing Damian Wrzesinski on the Lopez-Conlan undercard last May, Anthony Cacace could’ve easily found himself in boxing limbo after edging a pair of split decision wins over 21-0 pro Michael Magnesi and Bowen, who was 15-0 before their domestic duel in Birmingham before the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
Bowen has since retired from the sport, Italy’s 29-year-old Magnesi holds the WBC Silver title at 130lbs and Wrzesinski ventured back to his native Poland after losing on a rare business trip abroad. Eddie Hearn talked up Zelfa Barrett’s chances of boxing for world honours again yet the Mancunian will instead face Jordan Gill in April.
Cordina knows not to overlook his opposition, especially after winning without performing his best last time out, though it’ll be interesting to see how the two divisions move over the coming months as that will be the key to deciding what’s next, provided he prevails against a bullish challenger with plenty to gain abroad.
Picture source: Mark Robinson, Matchroom
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