Pride of Wales

CARDIFF

JUNE 4

JOE CORDINA became the 13th Welshman to to lay claim to being a 'world champion' in front of 4,000 delirious fans, including seven of his predecessors, at a sold-out Motorpoint Arena in his home city. And none of those who went before ever achieved the feat so spectacularly. One explosive right in round two detonated on the chin of IBF super-featherweight belt-holder Kenichi Ogawa and it was all over.

Way back in 1968 Howard Winstone was known as the "Welsh Wizard". Three times he came up short against Vicente Saldívar, but the Mexican great retired and a Japanese, Mitsunori Seki, was brought to London to decide his successor. Winstone won in nine rounds.

Half a century later the same nickname is proudly borne by 30-year-old Cordina. And faced with another foe from the Land of the Rising Sun, he too grasped his opportunity to make history.

It was a tremendous performance by the Rio Olympian, whose pro success came first as a lightweight, before he discarded the British and Commonwealth belts to drop to the 9st 4lb class. Before he could establish himself in his new division, however,