Eddie Hearn insists Joe Cordina is a “harmful struggle” for Shakur Stevenson of their undercard light-weight conflict on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol card on October twelfth on the Kingdom Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rehabilitating Shakur’s Picture
The general public believes Hearn is scrapping from the underside of the barrel, with Cordina getting used to spice up Shakur’s inventory along with his drop in reputation.
This transfer builds Shakur up and makes him appear like 24k gold to create curiosity in a unification conflict towards Gervonta Davis in 2025. In different phrases, it’s a sneaky solution to rehabilitate Shakur’s shattered public picture after consecutive lackluster performances towards Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan.
Promoter Hearn believes the previous IBF tremendous featherweight champion Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) would defeat everybody Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) has fought throughout his seven-year skilled profession. That’s onerous to imagine as a result of Shakur has wins over Edwin De Los Santos, Oscar Valdez, Robson Conceicao, and Jamel Herring. There’s probability Cordina loses to all 4 of these fighters.
Followers have been ragging Hearn for choosing Cordina, 32, as Shakur’s showcase opponent. The British fighter is coming off an eighth-round knockout loss to Anthony Cacace on Could 18th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cordina had not seemed good in his earlier two fights towards Edward Vazquez and Shavkat Rakhimov.
Paper Champion?
It was fairly clear from watching these fights that Cordina was a paper champion with the IBF and never the fighter that Hearn had thought he was. Hearn says Cordina was one of the best fighter at 130 earlier than he outgrew the division and was knocked out by the 35-year-old Cacace, however that’s extra wishful pondering. Many felt that Cordina ought to have misplaced to Rakhimov in April 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. That struggle was in Cardiff’s yard.
“This can be a critical struggle. It makes me chuckle after I hear individuals go, ‘Shakur Stevenson towards Joe Cordina.’ I’m telling you now. This can be a harmful struggle for Shakur Stevenson,” stated Eddie Hearn to IFL TV about Shakur’s title protection towards former IBF 130-lb champion Cordina on October twelfth on the Kingdom Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
If Cordina is pretty much as good as Hearn believes him to be, why didn’t he attempt to arrange a rematch between him and Anthony Cacace in order that he may avenge his Eighth-round knockout loss from final Could? Hearn has the cash to entice Cacace to struggle Cordina once more, they usually may have accomplished it at 135 if the burden was an issue for Joe.
“Joe Cordina is an distinctive expertise. He smashed [Kenichi] Ogawa to items within the knockout of the 12 months [on June 4, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales],” stated Hearn. “He had a warfare with [Shavkat] Rakhimov to grow to be a two-time world champion. He fought [Anchony] Cacace and doubtless shouldn’t have been at 130. He obtained hit after the bell.”
Let’s make clear: Cordina’s loss to Cacace wasn’t as a result of he obtained hit after the bell in that struggle. Cordina was by no means in that struggle from spherical one; he was getting labored over by the extra gifted Irish fighter.
“Inform me a fighter that Shakur Stevenson has beat that might undoubtedly beat Joe Cordina. He’s a critical fighter. Joe is making a fortune on October the twelfth, and good luck to him as a result of Joe needs the largest fights and probably the most amount of cash. He’s been like that for the final couple of years,” stated Hearn.
Once more, these former Shakur fighters would all doubtless beat Cordina with relative ease: Oscar Valdez, Robson Conceicao, Jamel Herring, Edwin De Los Santos, Jeremiah Nakathilia, Joet Gonzalez, and Artem Harutyunyan.
“The one sort of struggle that Joe goes to rise up for is moments like this. That’s the reason it is a harmful struggle. Sure, in fact, I’m going to champion Shakur Stevenson. I believe he’s a pound-for-pound expertise, and I believe he’s a favourite within the struggle. However in case you’re not prepared, you’re going to have your palms full as a result of Cordina can struggle. He’s obtained the bit between his enamel. He’s pondering, ‘I’ll present you.’ This can be a nice struggle,” stated Hearn.
Shakur’s Security-First Type
The struggle is harmful for Shakur, however solely as a result of he’s not so good as some followers imagine him to be. Shakur can’t punch, and he strikes round lots as a result of he’s been harm earlier than. He goes out of his means now to keep away from getting hit, which makes him one of many least entertaining fighters in the complete sport.
If Cordina can land his energy photographs on Shakur, he’s obtained an opportunity on this struggle, however it is going to be subsequent to not possible as a result of the Newark native’s focus is at all times on defending. He solely deviates from his all-defensive fashion when he faces a weak and slower puncher, like in his fights towards Artem Harutyunyan and Shuichiro Yoshino.
Cordina hits onerous, so Shakur will return to his safety-first combating fashion on October twelfth and be subsequent to not possible to hit.
