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Kenichi Ogawa will defend his IBF Junior Lightweight Title against Joe Cordina on June 4 in Cardiff, Wales. Ogawa currently has a record of 26-1-1 with 18 knockouts. Cordina has a record of 14-0-0 with 8 knockouts.
Ogawa claimed the IBF Championship in November 2021 when he defeated Azinga Fuzile by unanimous decision. Ogawa formerly challenged Tevin Farmer for the title in 2017. He won the fight by split decision, though the decision was revoked after Ogawa failed a drug test.
Ahead of his inaugural title defense next weekend, Dazn Boxing posted a recap of the Japanese fighter's 2021 fight with Fuzile. In the clip, Ogawa drops his opponent with a single punch.
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Ogawa reigns as a champion in the same division as Shakur Stevenson and Roger Gutiérrez. After a dominant performance over Fuzile in 2021, the junior lightweight might find himself positioned for a unification bout with one of the other champions later this year.
Kenichi Ogawa vs. Joe Cordina
Kenichi Ogawa made his pro debut in 2010. In his eighteenth fight, he won the Japanese Super Featherweight Title. He successfully defended it five times before challenging Farmer for the world title. Though he won the bout, it was later declared a no-contest due to his failed test.
Joe Cordina of Wales is a former Commonwealth Lightweight Champion as well as the British Lightweight Champion. He was a successful amateur and represented Great Britain at the Commonwealth Games, the European Championships, and the 2016 Olympics. In 2017, he turned professional. He has won all fourteen of his bouts so far and the fight with Ogawa will be his first shot at a world title.
Cordina is 30-years-old while Ogawa is 34. If he loses his title defense now, Ogawa may not find it easy to secure another shot. For Cordina, his performance against Ogawa will likely define the next few years of his career. At his age, and with the current state of boxing, the Welsh fighter will be determined to dethrone the champ to avoid working his way back up the ranks.
Check out the highlights of Kenichi Ogawa vs. Azinga Fuzile here:
