Joe Cordina Stripped of his IBF Title Without a Defense!
Over their careers, fighters employ hard work and sacrifice for a shot at the world championship. Losing a title is painful enough for a champion. Being stripped of the belt stings even more. This is the situation former IBF junior lightweight champion Joe “The Wizard” Cordina (15-0, 9KO) has suffered.
The Wizard was on fire running through the division by turning away every opponent in his path. His two-round destruction of Kenichi Ogawa to capture the title took the boxing community by storm.
THE IBF STRIPS CORDINA
Cordina was on schedule to fight mandatory and former title challenger Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (16-0-1, 13KO) at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on November 5. True to form, the boxing gods would intervene on a good fight. Cordina would suffer a hand injury and the fight would be canceled.
After winning the title, Cordina had an obligation to fight Rakhimov. The challenger had accepted a step-aside fee for the former champion to fight Ogawa. According to ESPN, the IBF has decided to strip the fighter from Cardiff Wales after being informed he wouldn’t be able to return to the ring until March 2023.
Feeling devastated by the whole situation, Cordina took to social media to express his disappointment in losing the title.
Injuries are part of the sport, and fighters hate to lose their title without defending it in the ring. Undoubtedly, Cordina is going to return the ring and will be looking to regain the title.
By: Garrisson Bland
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