By Gareth James
Joe Cordina has been given an immediate chance to get his hands back on a world title belt with a challenge for the WBC lightweight crown in Saudi Arabia.
Cordina – who lost his super-featherweight world title to Anthony Cacace in May – will move up a weight to challenge highly-rated American Shakur Stevenson on October 12 in Riyadh.
Cardiff fighter Cordina has spent the last three months resting and licking his wounds since his shock eighth round stoppage to Northern Irishman Cacace in May.
A lightweight bout between @ShakurStevenson and Joe Cordina tops October 12th #BeterbievBivol undercard.
Read here: https://t.co/3Cj0xBqLkD#StevensonCordina pic.twitter.com/GNc4ZyJp8y
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) August 21, 2024
Prior to his defeat, he had already suggested he was looking to move up a division and fight at lightweight in future.
The fight with Stevenson will be on the same bill as the long-awaited Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol undisputed light heavyweight championship fight.
A champion in three divisions, unbeaten Stevenson, 27, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
A lot of people are sleeping on Joe Cordina, for me. Yes, coming off a bad loss, changing trainer and fighting the best in the world at a new weight isn’t the circumstances you want. But if Joe Cordina turns up free of injury, he’s a world class fighter with stunning boxing… pic.twitter.com/CPAy48aHjQ
— Fight Club 247 (@fightclub247) August 21, 2024
But the match-up will also be 32-year-old Cordina’s fifth consecutive title fight.
Cordina was stopped in the eighth round of that fight against Cacace that appeared to slip away from him from the early stages.
He had hoped to showcase his talent to a global audience on the undercard of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight show in Riyadh.
Instead, he looked strangely subdued and under-powered from the opening bell and his plan to move up a category to lightweight now appears a necessity if he is to reclaim world champion status.
🥊 I’VE SAID I WANT THE STEVENSON FIGHT!@EddieHearn revealed to @BoxingNewsED that discussions have begun for fight between WBC Lightweight World Champion @ShakurStevenson & Joe Cordina!💥
Cordina discussed a fight vs Stevenson with @IntBoxingNews in April‼️#StevensonCordina pic.twitter.com/42mAHDnw7v
— International Boxing News (@IntBoxingNews) August 16, 2024