Joe Cordina says watching Shakur Stevenson out-point William Zepeda has sharpened his own plans to re-enter the lightweight title mix before year’s end.
The 33-year-old Welshman, now working with trainer Gary Lockett and back under the Matchroom banner, shook off 14 months of inactivity on 5 July by outboxing Mexico’s Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz over ten rounds in Manchester. It was Cordina’s first outing since losing his IBF 130-lb crown to Anthony Cacace in May 2024 and his first at 135 lbs, a division he says allows him to “eat the day before the weigh-in” instead of enduring brutal last-minute cuts.
Cordina plans to call promoter Eddie Hearn this week to lock in a date “end of October, November or December,” insisting the opponent must move him “close to a world title.” With Raymond Muratalla (IBF), Stevenson (WBC), Gervonta Davis (WBA) and a vacant WBO strap to chase - Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes meet for that belt in November - Cordina is open to any champion but will not keep name-checking Stevenson until the fight is realistic.
Watch Shakur vs. Zepeda highlights: Watch
He nonetheless ranked Stevenson and Davis as the division’s standout pair, calling the Newark southpaw’s win “very good” after giving Zepeda four of the first six rounds before Stevenson “started picking him apart.” Cordina added that training-camp changes felt “a breath of fresh air,” likening the switch to “jumping in a new car” after years with his previous team.
With his rust shaken and weight woes behind him, Cordina’s next call with Hearn will decide which belt - and which big name - he targets as the lightweight race tightens heading into 2026.
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