Cordina Focused On Future At Lightweight After ‘Bad Referee’ Ended Super-Featherweight Reign
Joe Cordina says he is planning to return to lightweight by the end of the year after speaking out about the controversial end to his reign as a super-featherweight world champion.
Cordina (17-1-0 9 KO) suffered the first defeat of his career in May when, on the undercard of the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, he was stopped in the eighth round by Anthony Cacace. The surprise loss ended Cordina’s second spell as the IBF’s champion at 130lbs in his third title defense.
However, the Welsh fighter has reason to feel aggrieved at how the fight played out. Cordina was knocked down in the third round after being punched on the break by Cacace and never fully recovered. Cacace took full advantage of the discombobulated Cordina to eventually secure the stoppage victory.
Speaking to BoxingScene, Cordina revealed Cacace offered him a rematch in the immediate aftermath of their bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The former champion told his opponent that it would have to be made at lightweight because of his struggles to make the 130lbs super-featherweight limit.
After giving himself time to recover from the loss, Cordina said he reconsidered and would have happily faced Cacace again at 130lbs, if only to correct the only blemish on his record, before returning to lightweight. Instead, Cacace agreed to fight former world champion Josh Warrington, which will take place on September 21 as part of the Daniel Dubois v Anthony Joshua card in London, England.
“Cacace said he’d give me a rematch. Then the next thing I know [he’s fighting Warrington] – no one had even mentioned anything to me,” Cordina said. “That’s the only fight that I would have stayed at 130lbs for – to try and make that fight.
Cordina Hits Out At ‘Incompetent’ Referee
“It was after. He come in my changing room, and at the time my head was all over the place, so I said, ‘It’ll probably have to be at 135lbs, because I don’t know if can make the weight anymore’. He said, ‘But there’s no belt’. I said, ‘To be honest, I don’t give a f*** about the belt – I just want to wrong a right’. Then, obviously, that fight was done.
“So it is what it is – I don’t cry over spilt milk. They’re fighting – that’s another six months gone. The longer I wait for something like that, the more weight I’m gonna be able to fill out and put on, so it’s going to be tougher for me to make that weight.”
Reflecting on his loss to Cacace, Cordina did not hold back on his views about referee Bob Williams, believing his lack of action around Cacace’s pivotal punch on the break played a big role in the outcome of the fight.
“The changing rooms beforehand, in big fights the referee comes in and says, ‘I’m the man in charge of the ring; obey my instructions; obey my commands; if I say, break, break; if I say, step back, step back. If you don’t follow instructions you’ll be penalized; points; potentially disqualification’,” Cordina said.
“The ref said, ‘Break; clear’. A split-second after, he hit me with two clean shots. If that was me, and I hit him, I’d have been expecting points off. It was incompetence from the referee. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t tell him to go back to a neutral corner. He was right behind the referee after, and I just think it was a bit unfair. That’s just incompetence and bad refereeing.
“I think because of the occasion of the night – the whole night; I’m not saying my fight, because there was bigger fights on there than mine and Cacace’s – obviously he’s been involved in big fights. But the whole occasion – I didn’t think he wanted to take points off. It was really bad, and that’s what should have happened – and give me my five minutes.”
Return Targeted For November Or December
Despite the perceived bitterness at the way his time as a super-featherweight champion ended, Cordina insists he’s looking to the future and a return to the stacked lightweight division. The 32-year-old Welshman has plenty of experience at 135lbs having held the British and Commonwealth lightweight titles earlier in his career.
“No one’s really contacted me, from [promoters] Matchroom,” Cordina said. “I’ve been training – doing little bits. But I’m going to get back in the gym and start training in September. I want to be out in late November; December, and I’m hoping on that.
“When I get back from [holiday in] Malta, I’ll start pushing for what I basically want. I’m back in two weeks, so I’ll start the ball rolling with negotiations or trying to make a fight. I just don’t want to be involved in them fights that are high-risk, low reward.
“There’s a lot of fighters out there that are unbelievable but they haven’t got the recognition. They haven’t got the backing behind them, so you’re fighting them, it’s a potential slip up, and you’re not getting nothing from it. You’re not getting paid well; you’re not getting no credit from it, so where does that put you? I’d back myself against anyone in the world. When you’re fighting someone like that, for no clout – no money – then it’s not worth your while.
“You’ve got George Kambosos who’s fought for world titles and lost every single one of them. What difference is it from me? I know he can fight in Australia. But I can fight in Cardiff; in the UK. Or we can be on the undercard of someone. So why can’t that happen with me? Eddie [Hearn is] meant to be the biggest promoter in the world, so if anyone can sort it, he can sort it.
“I’m just gonna enjoy my summer, and then I’m gonna pick back up. I’ve got ambition. I still wanna win world titles. I just need another fight to put me back in the firing line for another world title. Anyone that can put me in for a world title [I’m willing to fight].”
