It wasn’t the prettiest of wins for the former IBF 130-lb Cordina as he took a lot of shots and struggled at times due to the volume punching style of Flores.
Cordina was lucky he wasn’t a big puncher because the odds of him eventually getting knocked out were as good as he was in his eighth round knockout loss to Anthony Cacace in May 2024.
Promoter Eddie Hearn imagine it his fighter Cordina could fight Mason in April 2026 in his hometown of Cleveland. “He fights in Cleveland in April. But why not fight Joe in April?”
Hearn adds that it would be “a big fight” and “a hell of a fight.”
This is a fight that will give Cordina the chance to become a two-division world champion if he prevails against Mason. Mostly, though, it’s pretty much the only chance Cordina has of getting a quick title shot. He is #10 WBC, and not at all by the IBF and WBA.
With the rankings at the WBC, it could take years for Cordina to move up high enough to be in a position to challenge for the title. Due to his advanced age, he does not have time on his side.
Mason, 21, recently beat Sam Noakes by a 12-round unanimous decision in a war on November 22, 2025 in Riyadh. Unlike Abdullah’s previous nine fights, this one was a tough one in which he was forced to go toe-to-toe with the heavy-handed Noakes.
In the championship rounds, Mason got on his bike and boxed to save himself from taking more punishment. Noakes wasn’t going anywhere, and his punches were powerful. Mason got the upper hand, but Noakes made him pay for everything he threw. It was one of those types of fights where the better fighter still had to take punishment.
