"Nothing will compete with the pressure that I felt in the Olympics, so I'm just looking forward to this next fight"
Monday 23 October 2017 12:23, UK
Wembley Stadium has been ticked off. Now, Joe Cordina gets to fight at Cardiff's Principality, a 74,500-seater stadium situated on his doorstep, and the Welsh Wizard admits things are coming far sooner than expected in a career full of expectation.
Cordina fights next weekend on the undercard to Anthony Joshua's unified heavyweight world title defence against Carlos Takam, live on Sky Sports Box office.
The contest will mark the 25-year-old's fifth career fight, his first for a title in the paid ranks, and the amateur standout and Rio Olympian is determined to impress on the biggest of stages.
"I haven't really thought about the fact that it's an Anthony Joshua undercard," Cordina began. "It just brings added excitement and another huge chance to make a statement, these are the moments you want to be involved with.
"The fact the whole world is watching only makes me want to put on a better performance, bring it on I say."
Despite the daunting size of the Welsh national stadium and the thousands of fans that Cordina will hope to magnetise, the super-featherweight stays relaxed, excited by the prospect of fighting so close to home.
The 25-year-old is a proud Cardiff man after all and is not too unfamiliar with the Principality having twice competed there before, albeit in different sports. Despite that, this particular boxing feat "has always been a dream" since Cordina first donned the gloves around eight years ago.
I don't want to be fighting on the road, I want to eventually get a world title and then defend it in Cardiff much like Joe Calzaghe did. That'll be the dream from now.
"It's come earlier than expected in my career, it's always been an aim and goal of mine and to do it so soon, well, I can only be grateful for that," 'The Welsh Wizard' continued.
"When I was younger, I played football and rugby at the Principality, or Millennium as it was called then, so I like to think I know it well.
"This is different and no doubt there will be a little bit of pressure and fear, but I like to think I can handle it with ease. For me, nothing will ever compete with how I felt in the Olympics so I get excited these days more than anything.
"People are coming from all over Wales and the UK for this fight. It's a huge moment for Cardiff in particular, we're only a little city in the grand scheme of things, a 40 minute drive from north to south and you've covered it all.
"It gives the capital a tight-knit feel, I can move around and I know a lot of faces, I see people all the time and I appreciate them supporting one of their own."
Cordina Is racking up the achievements and memories in a short period of time, four fights and four stoppages since he made his Wembley bow in April.
This though is still just the start the super-featherweight insists, Cordina's hopes and aspirations are only becoming grander with every goal completed.
"Next," he admits, "I want to become a big fixture in Wales.
"I don't want to be fighting on the road, I want to eventually get a world title and then defend it in Cardiff much like Joe Calzaghe did. That'll be the dream now.
"Hopefully, I could sell out the Principality myself in the future, it's something that would mean the world to me.
"For now though, I'm happy with how things have gone and the direction they are heading. Admittedly, I did think I would take a little longer to adjust to the pro game, but my team think I'm ready to keep stepping up so I trust in them and I'll just strive to continue doing my bit in the ring."
Watch Joe Cordina on the undercard to Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam, from the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on October 28, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book online here.
