Eddie Hearn is already plotting Joe Cordina’s route towards a world championship.
The Welshman has been out in the boxing wilderness since losing his IBF junior lightweight title to Anthony Cacace in May 2024. Cordina was supposed to face Shakur Stevenson for the WBC 135lbs title three months later, but the American withdrew with a hand injury. This left Cordina with few options and no backing as his contract with Hearn and Matchroom had expired.
It was a frustrating time for Cordina, who felt like he deserved better from his old promotional outfit, and with no deal or fight on the table, he held talks with several of the UK’s leading promoters. Cordina and Matchroom eventually settled their differences earlier this month, and signed a two-fight promotional deal. Cordina will return on the undercard of Jack Catterall-Harlem Eubank on July 5 in Manchester, England, against Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz.
“I'm so happy to see Joe back. For me, one of the best pound-for-pound British fighters out there,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “You know, I think he was very unlucky coming off the Cacace defeat. I believe he was punched after the break, but that's another story.
“But he got the Shakur Stevenson fight, and obviously that fell through, and he wasn't able to land that big fight. I had a good conversation with Joe, I said, ‘Look, you need to get back in the 10-round championship fight before, while we're waiting for that big fight.’ And that's what he's doing July 5th. He's got a Mexican opponent. It's going to be a tough fight, but looking for him to look good.”
Cordina, now 33 years old, is looking to become a two-weight world champion sooner rather than later. There has been movement with the lightweight belts as of late: Vasiliy Lomachenko retired, Raymond Muratalla has been elevated to full champion with the IBF, and Keyshawn Davis recently relinquished his WBO strap after he came in four pounds overweight in his scheduled fight against Edwin De Los Santos on June 7, which was later called off. Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes have been ordered by the WBO to fight for the vacant title.
“The lightweight division is really opening up,” Hearn said. “Andy Cruz is going to fight [Raymond] Muratalla for the IBF World Championship. WBO is vacant – looks like Mason against Noakes. Shakur is obviously the WBC champ and the king, really. You've got Gervonta [Davis, the WBA champion] in there as well. So, you know, an opportunity for Joe, I think, is to get himself in a mandatory position, particularly with the IBF or the WBO. This fight's for one of the regional belts for the WBO, so it'll get him ranked. I'd love to see Joe fight the winner of Mason against Noakes.”
And is the once-scheduled bout between Cordina and Stevenson now dead in the water?
“I think for now,” Hearn said. “I think that was a great opportunity for Joe, and he really liked that fight. But once that fell through, you know, it was really time to get back in the ring, and looking forward to seeing him back in Manchester.”