IBF super-featherweight world champion, Joe Cordina, has not hidden his disappointment that it will be unlikely that he will be unifying his IBF world title in his next fight, which is all but set to be held on the 30th of September in Cardiff.
Cordina re-captured his IBF title in April after it was relinquished from him last year following a bout of injuries to his left hand. Shavkat Rakhimov would win the title with a ninth-round stoppage over Zelfa Barrett on the 5th of November in Abu Dhabi before unsuccessfully defending his title to Cordina last time out.
Cordina & Rakhimov would fight in a toe to toe encounter in Cardiff, the home town of the Welshman, who would claim a split decision win on the scorecards.
Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, speaking to IFLTV, admitted that Cordina is likely to face a domestic-based opponent with the previously mentioned Zelfa Barrett and current IBO world titleholder Anthony Cacace leading the way to be Cordina’s maiden world title defence.
“From a UK perspective, a British perspective, you got Zelfa Barrett, you got [Belfast’s Anthony] Cacace,” Hearn revealed to IFL TV.
However, Cordina (16-0) wanted to be happier with the names mentioned as he expressed his desire to compete against the other title holders in the exciting super-featherweight division. Speaking on social media, Cordina has seemingly questioned Matchroom’s willingness to bring unification title fights to Wales, something which Cordina is targeting moving forward in his career.
“I’ve been on to them to try and fight the big names/champions in my weight and weight above because I want to be in massive fights,” Cordina stated in a recent response on Twitter to the current direction of his career. “And all [they’re] talking about is domestic fights that I don’t gain anything from.
“Baffles me that we don’t want the same thing, all the belts.”
Cordina has been targeting a unification with the current WBC world title holder, O’Shaquie Foster (20-2); however, Hearn has conceded that those talks have not been fruitful in making that particular title fight a reality.
“We spoke about Foster,” Hearn acknowledged. “I don’t think that’s going to be next.”
