Welsh boxer Joe Cordina has told Sky Sports that he has been offered a fight with Manny Pacquiao as part of the undercard for the blockbuster all-British heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in December.
The 34-year-old has agreed to fight the boxing icon at the Principality Stadium in his birth city of Cardiff, but no contracts have been signed yet. Sky Sports has approached Pacquiao's team for comment.
"I've been offered the fight," said Cordina, a two-time super-featherweight world champion. "'Of course', I said, 'No problem'. I've won world titles, and I want to win more. But for me, the name of Manny Pacquiao at this present moment is bigger than any name in boxing. He's an eight-division world champion, a legend."
Cordina said he is training as if he is fighting Pacquiao and has been preparing for the last four or five weeks. "If the phone rings, I know I'm ready," he said. He pointed to Pacquiao's most recent fight against Mario Barrios in July 2025, which ended in a draw, adding that he thought Pacquiao deserved the decision. Acknowledging critics who call the 47-year-old Pacquiao old, Cordina said his power, speed and footwork remain sharp, even if his timing may be affected after a year and a half out of the ring.
As for sharing a bill with Joshua and Fury, Cordina hopes the long-anticipated fight lives up to its billing. He also does not regard Anthony Joshua as an underdog, noting that "it only takes one shot from him" to change a fight.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing