Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov relinquished his IBF Super Featherweight World title against Joe Cordina in Cardiff last night. Tajikistan’s first ever world champion lost a split decision in the Welsh capital infront of a sold-out Cardiff International Arena. Cordina won that very same title he lost outside the ring last year.
To the country’s delight, the Cardiff man (16-0, 9 KOs) bounced back convincingly from a hand injury that forced the IBF to strip the Welsh nation of their 13th world champion.
Cordina fought fire with fire in a bout which saw both men go toe-to-toe for the majority of the championship title fight.
“I knew I would have to trade with him at some point.” Cordina said in an exclusive interview for ProBox TV News. “In the 1st round I was moving and trying to draw him on, but he wasn’t having it, he just kept closing me down. He would get in that position and start letting his hands go. When he started doing that, I thought I am going to have to hold my feet, take his punches and punch back. He’s tough a man.”
The atmosphere inside the arena was tense as MC David Diamante read the first judges scorecard in favour of Rakhimov. Thankfully for the Welshman, the remaining two judges gave him the nod. But only just, with winning scores of 114-113 and 115-112. Many ringside were shocked with the closeness of the decision considering Cordina sent Rakhimov to the canvass in round 2.
“I did go looking for the knockout in the early stages of the fight. Then it got to a point where I had to start being smart. Every time he threw something I had to counter. I knew I had to start racking up the points, which I thought I was doing. Every time I was going back to the corner, Tony [Sims] was telling me I’m pissing it.”
Questions over whether Cordina was ready to go straight back into such a fight after nearly a year on sidelines had circulated all week. A serious hand operation raised doubts if he would be back to the form we saw against Kenichi Ogawa last year.
“I would love to go to Cardiff City Stadium, I would love it.” Cordina added. “But we would obviously have to try and do it in the summer. I want to be back soon, my hand feels good, just have a bruised knuckle. I’ll be going out to Mexico next week to watch John Ryder Vs Canelo, then I’m straight back in the gym.”
