Joe Cordina v Kenichi Ogawa 4th June 2022 IBF super featherweight

[Master]

Wales' Joe Cordina will fight for a world title in his home city of Cardiff when he challenges IBF super featherweight champion Kenichi Ogawa.

Cordina, 30, will get the opportunity to become Wales' 13th world champion at Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, 4 June.

That means he will fight only hours before Wales' World Cup play-off final against either Scotland or Ukraine, which is set for Sunday, 5 June.

"It's a lifelong dream of mine to become a world champion," Cordina said.

Cordina, who is unbeaten in 14 fights as a professional, has seen his opportunities limited in recent years by a serious hand injury that required surgery and threatened his career.

However, after injury stopped him boxing in 2020, Cordina impressed in three comeback fights in 2021 as he picked up victories against Faroukh Kourbanov,Joshuah Hernandez and Miko Khatchatryan.

Champion Ogawa, 34, has won 26 of his 28 professional fights, with just a single defeat coming nine years ago.

Cordina's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes the time is now for the Welshman, who could be set for some large-scale unification fights if he were to be victorious.

"This is it for Joe Cordina, the opportunity of a lifetime and his moment of truth," Hearn said.

"Joe has an opportunity to become world champion in his home city and put himself up there with the greats.

"Ogawa is a huge step up; big, strong and proven as an elite fighter. Victory for both men sets up huge unification opportunities - we expect an incredible atmosphere in Cardiff and a great show on 4th June."

Cordina will be headlining a bill in his home city for the first time on what promises to be a massive weekend of sport in the Welsh capital.

"I've dedicated my entire life to boxing and to putting myself in this position," said Cordina. "Now it all comes down to this opportunity, my world title shot.

"I'll be taking this opportunity with both hands; I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to win and be crowned the new IBF world super featherweight champion.

"Be ready to see the best Joe Cordina come fight night as I put my name at the top of the division."

Japanese fighter Ogawa said: "I'm looking forward to fighting in Cardiff.

"Let's be in our best shape for this fight. But I will be the one to win this fight. See you in a month."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/61308339

[TIC]

neither guy is a threat to shakur. i like joe & think he can win but it will be his toughest opponent & biggest test. i can see kenichi causing big problems for joe & think joe could have used a couple more fights before facing a guy like kenichi. i'm interested in this fight

[Master]

Joe Cordina has the chance to become the IBF Super-Featherweight champion by beating Kenichi Ogawa at the Motorpoint Arena in his hometown of Cardiff this weekend.

The undefeated fighter, who boasts a 14-0 record, is confident he’ll realise his dream on Saturday evening before Wales play Ukraine the following day in a World Cup play-off – capping off an epic week of events in the UK.

“It’s a massive weekend for Welsh sport,” Cordina told talkSPORT. “Not only that, it’s the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee also that weekend which is great. It’s amazing for Wales, it’s amazing for everyone attending the boxing or the football.”

The 30-year-old is not overawed ahead of his first world title bid and believes he has the beating of Ogawa.

“He’s a world champion so he’s a good fighter but I don’t think he’s fought anybody like me,” Cordina said. “He’s had a lot of fights against people with poor records. No more than ten fights with half and half losses and wins.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s fought Tevin Farmer who is world level and has been a world champion, but he got done for doping and I thought he lost that fight, Tevin Farmer won that fight really.

“I don’t think he’s had many fights where they’ve been technically great or very good, but he’s meeting someone on June 4th who is technically good, has been at the pinnacle of the amateurs, seen every style there is, and boxed some great fighters.”

Ogawa’s biggest career win over Farmer was overturned to a no-contest and he was suspended from the sport for six months after he tested positive for two types of androstanediol – a synthetic testosterone.

The 2016 Olympian insists he is not concerned about Ogawa potentially cheating in their upcoming fight and says either way he’ll be walking out the arena as champion.

“It’s in the back of your mind but I don’t give a monkey’s,” Cordina said.

“I’ll go in I’ll do my job, he’ll do his job and obviously, if he gets done for doping, anti-doping do their job. Regardless of what he’s taking or what he’s doing, I plan on doing a job on him.”

All being well on Saturday night, Cordina is hoping to move straight into big fights against the likes of unified super-featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who has previously expressed a willingness to come to the UK for a fight with him.

“It’s a fight that I’d love, and I’m a fan of his because I’m a boxing fan first and foremost, he said. “But I back myself against anyone and it’s a fight I’d love.

“I’m that sort of person, any challenge I’m willing to hit head on. I’ve been shouting for a world title for ages, and I’ve got one now. God willing, I get the job done on Saturday in style, I’ll be looking to unify.”

Before that happens, though, Cordina will be in attendance at the Cardiff City Stadium the following day to watch Gareth Bale and co. try to reach another World Cup.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ine-world-cup/

[Master]

Cordina starts aggressive in the first round against Ogawa but was getting countered.

1 nil Ogawa

[Master]

Cordina still pressing the action in the second round when he knocks out Ogawa clean out with a huge counter right hand!

[Master]

That is a brilliant way to win a world title. That knock out is a dream punch and will be shown for a long time.

Ogawa is ok and sportingly congratulates Cordina.

[Master]

Eddie will set up a defence of Cordina title against Barrett who was on the undercard next.

[TIC]

i'm impressed

[TIC]

http://www.youtube.com/shorts/vdZejFRgM-4

[Primo Carnera]

So pleased for Cordina. I’ve always rated him highly, although I had my doubts whether he could take this chance against a good champion. Beautiful punch to finish it.

[TIC]

joe has apparently been stripped of the ibf belt he won in this fight

[Master]

Joe Cordina: Welshman 'gutted' as injury cancels world title defence against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov

Joe Cordina says he is "absolutely gutted" after his super-featherweight world title defence against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov was called off because of injury.

The Welsh boxer, who has had surgery on a hand, says he has been stripped of his title by the IBF.

"Worked my whole life to become a world champion and I haven't even had the chance to defend the title," said Cordina on social media.

He added: "Feel like I've been robbed."

Cordina had been due to defend his title in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, 5 November on the undercard of the light-heavyweight world title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez.

Rakhimov, the IBF's mandatory challenger, had stepped aside to allow the Welshman to fight former champion Kenichi Ogawa in Cardiff in June.

The 30-year-old, nicknamed 'The Welsh Wizard', became Wales' 13th world champion with a stunning one-punch knockout of Japan's Ogawa.

Cordina is undefeated in 16 pro fights.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/63128633

[Spicoli]

Pretty much a bum deal dealt to Cordina on legit injury. He shouldn't be stripped. And meanwhile Stevenson dumps his belts on the scale without a second thought and now Rey Vargas gets to arbitrarily jump to 130 and is granted an immediate title fight..while so far holding onto his 125 .

[TIC]

Pretty much a bum deal dealt to Cordina on legit injury. He shouldn't be stripped. And meanwhile Stevenson dumps his belts on the scale without a second thought and now Rey Vargas gets to arbitrarily jump to 130 and is granted an immediate title fight..while so far holding onto his 125 .

sucks but in fairness shavkatdzhon did step aside so that joe could fight kenichi for the vacant belt. i hate interim titles but this seems like a legitimate occasion where it would have made sense to have an interim championship fight while joe recovers. as to rey vargas & the wbc belt at one thirty, the last wbc rankings i saw had robson conceicao at number two behind o’shaquie foster at number one, who rey is supposed to fight for the vacant belt. feel for robson, sure he lost to shakur, but shakur was a lightweight, robson should be fighting for the vacant belt