“I’m excited to be back.”

After 13 months, one marquee fight in Saudi Arabia cancelled, and ‘a bit of hoovering’, Joe Cordina, Wales’ most high profile male boxer, is making his comeback.

The 34-year-old has not been in a ring since lost his IBF super featherweight world title to Anthony Cacace, after a controversial late shot knocked him out of stride in the world title bout.

That will end when he faces Mexican fighter Jaret Gonzalez as part of the undercard for Jack Catterall-Harlem Eubank at the Manchester Arena on Saturday, July 5th.

Having finally committed to making the step up in weight from superfeather to lightweight, Cordina was due to face the American Shakur Stevenson for the WBC title on October last year, but his opponent injured his shoulder with weeks to go before the bout and his shot at becoming a two-weight world champ seemed lost.

Now though, Cordina is keen to get back in the ring and show everyone the ability that made him the IBF world champion.

“I just want to back in the mix and get back to those big fights,” Cordina said exclusively to Sportin Wales.

“That’s what gets your juices flowing, those big fights. Like Joe Calzaghe with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Mikkel Kessler, and Chris Eubank. Win, lose, or draw, people remember those fights.

“I was on the brink of having one of those big fights with Shakur [Stevenson] but that fell through, no fault of my own.

“I’m just ready to get back on the horse, keep getting myself in the battle, and get myself back on trajectory for one of those big fights.”

Cordina’s opponent in Manchester – Gonzalez – is a relative unknown to British boxing. From Monterrey in Northern Mexico, his record mirrors Cordina: 18 fights, 17 wins, one defeat.

Cordina has won nine fights by knock out, Gonzalez 13. Cordina is the more agile, quick fighter, Gonzalez favours a power punch.

When asked how much tape Cordina has watched of his opponent, the answer is surprising.

“None! I can’t find him,” Cordina revealed with a glint in his eye.

“They [Matchroom] offered me two fighters: one was 19-0 with six knockouts and the other 17-1 with 13 knockouts. I know for a fact that I would go into the ring with the first one knowing that he can’t hurt me and that’s what would slip me up.

“I want to get someone to I need to be switched on against. He [Gonzalez] is born in Mexico, so we know he can punch, that he’s dangerous. But I’m experienced, I’m going to be ready.”

For all Cordina’s talk of big fights in the future, he is fully aware that he must get past this first hurdle before he can entertain those thoughts.

“If I don’t win on Saturday, then the big nights aren’t there,” Cordina added.

“I have to make sure I win on Saturday, and then we can start planning.”

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