Results
Kenichi Ogawa vs. Joe Cordina
Joe Cordina sensationally became the IBF super featherweight world champion with a second-round victory over Kenichi Ogawa at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on Saturday.
Cardiff’s Cordina (15-0, 9 KOs) was facing his first real test as a professional, having never boxed at world level before, while Ogawa (26-2-1, 18 KOs) was making his first defence of the belt he won last November with a points victory over Azinga Fuzile.
It was a powerful right hand that did the damage to the Welshman, a perfectly timed shot that crushed the Japanese on impact.
Despite his best efforts, Ogawa’s senses were robbed and he was unable to stand as the referee waved the fight off, much to the delight of Cordina and his team.
“We call him Roberto Duran” Cordina told DAZN after the fight.
JOE CORDINA JUST DID IT 👀#OgawaCordina pic.twitter.com/OXsBcqgqVe
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 4, 2022
“We worked on this all camp.
“It’s an amazing feeling when you put hours and hours and hours of work into a certain combination or punch and then you put it into the fight.
“You don’t even think about it, and then it fades away, and then it fades away. It’s over.”
Barrett is the European champion
The main event winner was under pressure from Zelfa Barrett, with “Brown Flash” becoming the fresh European super featherweight champion with a convincing, wide points victory over Faroukh Kourbanov (19-4, 3 KOs).
Barrett (28-1, 16 KO) secured an IBF title eliminator in his last fight, with the Manchester fighter largely dominating the Belgian with scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110.
Smith extends unbeaten streak
Dalton Smith impressed once again as he defended his WBC International silver super lightweight title for the first time, forcing Mauro Perouene (14-6-1, 7 KOs) to retire after six rounds.
Smith (11-0, 9 KOs) dropped the Argentine after the bell to end the sixth, and Peruene’s corner wisely pulled his fighter out of the battle.
Yafai returns to winning ways
Gamal Yafai (19-2, 11 KO) bounced back from his recent European title loss to defeat Sean Cairns (8-4, 2 KO) by fourth-round knockout in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight bout.
What a shot Yafai 💥#OgawaCordina pic.twitter.com/ppHHW5rYOf
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 4, 2022
Nicolson records fourth victory
Skye Nicholson (4-0) has had a busy 2022, with the Australian fighting all eight rounds in her featherweight bout against Gabriela Bouvier (15-11, 3 KOs).
Remaining Undercard
Calum French (3-0, 1 KO) went eight rounds for the first time as a professional, earning a 79-73 scorecard in his super lightweight bout against Gadatamen Taylor (4-10-1).
Monique Bux’s (0-1) debut was a disaster as the Welsh super middleweight was upset after four rounds by Ester Konecna (2-15-1), who had one win in 17 paid fights before, with the Czech claiming a 39-37 victory.
In the middleweight division, Kyran Jones (4-0, 1 KO) defeated Vasif Memedov (2-18-3) 40-35, and in the welterweight division, Ben Crocker (4-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated, winning all four rounds against Evgenii Vaz (9-30, 4 KO).
Joe Morgan (4-0, 1 KO) scored a hat-trick for the boxers, finishing 4-0 on the night, defeating Rustem Fatkhullin (8-33, 3 KO) by a score of 40-35.
Daniel Dubois has revealed that his goal is an undisputed title clash with the winner of this weekend’s rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight title against former world champion Joseph Parker on February 22 and arrived in Riyadh earlier this week to watch Saturday’s clash between Usyk and Fury.
After being written off by many recently, “Dynamite” has been in the form of his life lately, picking up three stoppage wins off the back of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
It was said that the heavy-handed 27-year-old would immediately enter into a rematch with Joshua, but “AJ” and his team did not agree with this idea.
And keep talking talkSPORT today, Dubois stated that he has his eye on unifying the four belts with the winner of Saturday’s rematch if he manages to overtake Parker.
“I’m here in Saudi Arabia and I want a winner on Saturday night.
I want to fight for an undisputed result, that’s the game now and that’s the goal.
“100% [I would beat them]. This is my time now. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’m a recent man.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
“I am ready to fight for the undisputed, win it and make history.
“I evolved and learned from my mistakes.
“The team did well and I’m firing on all cylinders now. Let’s go!”
Like Dubois, Parker is also in the best form of his career and comes into the match on the back of upset wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
The situation in the heavyweight division in 2025 depends on the outcome of the epic rematch on Saturday evening, in which three world titles will be up for grabs.
Usyk hurt and released Fury en route to a split decision victory when they first faced off in May, and many believe the ‘Gypsy King’ has everything to do if he wants to reverse the result.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
A third fight between the pair is contractually agreed if the Morecambe man wins, provided neither he nor ‘The Cat’ withdraws after the second battle at the Kingdom Arena.
Paulie Malignanggi believes that Tyson Fury is no longer the same fighter he once was, and he will not beat Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch.
Fury decides to take revenge for his own loss of split decision to Usyk in May, when he meets the Ukrainian for the second time in Riyad.
Fury was given eight points after tripping over the ropes following a powerful attack from his rival, and Malignaggi feels his three fights with Deontay Wilder, in which he fell four times, are starting to catch up with him.
“I don’t know if Wilder and Fury are the same after these three fights,” the 41-year-old said talkSPORT Boxing.
“Wilder certainly didn’t look the same as Fury to me, his impact resistance was always one of the best.
“He got up from Deontay Wilder’s punches that would have made buildings collapse, and now Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight, turned him around and dropped him in the first fight.
“What are the lasting effects of the Wilder trilogy?
“Who is one of the most devastating boxers in history.”
The “Gypsy King” suffered the first defeat in his 36-fight professional career, but announced that he would end the 37-year-old’s career on Saturday.
Usyk remains undefeated in his 22-fight professional career, and in May he won the undisputed heavyweight title, the first man in the four-belt era to do so.
Former world champion Malignaggi believes that Usyk, who vacated the IBF belt after the first fight, will repeat the feat.
“I will choose Usyk,” he added.
“I don’t think Fury has it anymore.
“It’s no disrespect to Fury.
“I’ve always loved Fury, I’m just not sure if he can bring him back.”
Frank Warren today revealed that a third fight between the two teams is in the contract – provided Fury emerges victorious and neither retires – while the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua could be an alternative option for the Manchester fighter.
Tyson Fury described both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as “very constrained” compared to him ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who saw Dubois defeat Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, is preparing for a second fight with Usyk on December 21 in Riyad, seven months after his first professional defeat against split decision for the undisputed title of heavyweight champion.
The ‘Gypsy King’ insists he will box in a similar fashion when he faces the Ukrainian for the unified heavyweight titles, as well as facing his rival in midfield, something he believes both Joshua and Dubois were unable to do , when they stood against him.
– What can you expect from me? Fury said during his face-to-face meeting with Usyk TNT Sports.
“Basically the same thing I did before.
“Good boxing.
“It’s not normal for someone my height and weight to be able to box and move and slide, so why should I take that away from my game.
“People tell me: go up to Usyk, take him down and punch him, but if it was so effortless why didn’t Joshua do it, who is a massive, sturdy man?
“Why didn’t Dubois do it?
“These men are constrained compared to me, very constrained.”
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated “AJ” twice on points and stopped Dubois, and Fury became the fifth Briton to fall victim to him.
The Manchester athlete believes it cost him an impressive performance in his first outing and has vowed to remain focused when facing Usyk on Saturday in three weeks’ time.
“I belong to a boxer,” the 36-year-old added.
“Slip, slide, clip, hook.
“I’m going to do it, but with more focus.
“A little more focused on my job and I think that’s my path to victory.”
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