Eddie Hearn hopes his super featherweight charge Joe Cordina gets his tactics correct tomorrow night against Kenichi Ogawa.
Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena will host the Welshman’s attempt at becoming the country’s first world champion since Lee Selby. Standing in the way is IBF 130lbs champion Ogawa, known for pressure and relentlessness in the ring while Cordina is rightly judged as the boxer going into this fight. Hearn told Boxing Social’s Andi Purewal that going into retreat mode would play into the opponent’s hands.
“It’s going to be a bad tactic to box off the back for 12 rounds because you’re going to get walked down,” said Hearn who used Azinga Fuzile’s performance against Ogawa as an example.
“I think Joe’s gonna ping Ogawa for two, three, four rounds then he’s gonna walk him down, rough him up and Joe will have to at times stick it on him. You don’t want to be trading up time and time again with Ogawa because you’re giving him an opportunity. You’ve got to use your skills but that’s another reason why I feel it’s such a great fight.”
In Hearn’s opinion Ogawa v Cordina is a 50-50 fight despite the bookmakers having the undefeated challenger as the odds-on favourite.
“There’s so many unanswered questions,” Hearn explained.
“I believe Joe Cordina is an unbelievable talent, but he’s never boxed at this level before. When I say that it doesn’t mean he’s not good enough to box at this level, he’s just never boxed at this level before. So, he needs to produce a performance against a really good champion in Ogawa who is very strong, who punches very hard, and I do see it as a 50-50 but Joe is an exceptional talent.
“I love the way he’s (Cordina) talking; I love the fact that he’s putting pressure on himself saying it’s now or never. I love the fact he’s talking about mixing it up and trying to knock him out. But as well at the same time it’s a very, very dangerous fight and so it should be for a world title.”