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Joe Cordina's Pacquiao Hopes Appear Over Ahead of Fury v Joshua

Amara QuayePublished 9m ago2 min readBased on 1 source
Joe Cordina's Pacquiao Hopes Appear Over Ahead of Fury v Joshua
Image by southernmen from Pixabay

Joe Cordina's hopes of fighting Manny Pacquiao on the undercard of Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua appear to be over. The undercard is the group of supporting fights on the same night as the main event, and it is where many big names get their chance to shine.

Cordina, 34, is a former IBF super-featherweight champion, a belt from one of boxing's four major sanctioning bodies. He wanted to meet Pacquiao at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 11 December, the night Fury and Joshua are scheduled to fight. BBC Sport reports that Cordina had agreed terms, but Pacquiao had not reciprocated.

Pacquiao, 47, is one of the sport's great names. He is a 12-time world champion across eight different weight classes, which are the bands that group boxers by body weight. He has not fought since July 2025.

The Fury v Joshua card is not finished yet. Turki Alalshikh, co-founder of Zuffa Boxing and a member of the Saudi Royal Court, has confirmed that the 11 December line-up is still being put together. Three bouts are confirmed so far: Deontay Wilder against Jai Opetaia, Da'Mazion Vanhouter against Michael Essomba, and Martin Bakole against Solomon Adebayo.

Cordina's next move is already on the table. Eddie Hearn says he has lined up a big fight for the Welshman in January. Hearn named Abdullah Mason, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis as possible opponents.

Hearn also told IFL TV that leaving a two-time world champion from Wales off the undercard is "crazy". Cordina has held a world title, and he has now won a second, which is why his absence from a Cardiff card has drawn comment. For fans, the story is a reminder of how much of boxing depends on negotiations that happen out of sight. A fight can be agreed by one side and still fall apart if the other side does not commit.

For now, the December card has three confirmed fights and several places still open. Cordina's January plans and the rest of the line-up will depend on what Alalshikh and the promoters announce next.

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