Joe Cordina’s ten-round tune-up over Jaret Gonzalez has whetted, not sated, his appetite. The Welsh stylist re-emerged at lightweight with new trainer Gary Lockett and immediately aimed his sights at WBC king Shakur Stevenson - still the opponent he feels “owes” him a date after injury scuppered their 2024 clash at 130 lbs.
Cordina expects Stevenson to navigate William Zepeda’s relentless pressure on Saturday in Queens. “Either Shakur stinks the place out or he looks a million dollars,” he told BoxingScene, convinced the Newark southpaw’s timing and distance will trump Zepeda’s high volume. Yet Cordina also notes vulnerabilities: Tevin Farmer’s success countering Zepeda, Stevenson’s occasional tendency to grab, and the “spoilt” behaviour that, in Cordina’s view, dulls his rival’s shine.
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Hand injuries have plagued both men, but Cordina insists patience and a willingness to engage in “one of the most boring fights ever” could unlock Stevenson’s puzzle. If the American prevails, Cordina wants his shot at the belt he twice chased at junior-lightweight; if not, the 33-year-old says any champion at 135 lbs will do. “Why wouldn’t I want that fight? Any of the world champions I’d love to face,” he says.
With both fighters presently under the Matchroom banner, contractual hurdles look minimal. All that stands between Cordina and his long-delayed grudge match is Stevenson’s performance in Queens - and Cordina’s own resilience to wait, or pivot, in one of boxing’s deepest weight classes.
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