Joe Cordina says he left Tony Sims for a fresh start with Ben Davison after ‘the wheels fell off’ in his last fight.
Cordina lost his world title when he was stunned by underdog Anto Cacace in Riyadh in May and he has now decided to leave Sims, who has trained him since the start of his professional career in 2017.
The Welsh Wizard insists it was an amicable split with the man who steered him to two world titles at super-featherweight.
“I was with him since the start of my career so almost eight years,” Cordina said during an exclusive interview with Boxing News. “It was like why fix something if it’s not broken?
“I was going until the wheels fell off and they fell off. Then you start assessing things. I just think at this stage in my career I just need to try something new, I need a freshen up. That’s all it is – a freshen up.
“Tony is an amazing geezer and he’s like family to me. Him and his wife Karen have looked after me and I’m the only fighter who has actually lived with him. He’s a great guy, a great trainer. He got me to two world titles so I couldn’t say a bad word about him.”
The Welshman is currently preparing to face Shakur Stevenson for the WBC lightweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 12 and is doing so with his new training team of Davison and Barry Smith across Essex in Harlow.
Cordina added: “They train completely different to how we train at Tony’s so it’s something new, a freshen up. I’ve been there just over a week and I believe I’m going to excel under them. I’ve learned a lot already.
“I just think my best chance of winning [against Stevenson] is under them two. I always said the only place I’d train in the UK apart from Tony would be with them.”
On the split, his promoter Eddie Hearn said: “Sometimes people have a change.
“I think Tony and Joe’s relationship has been unbelievable. They’ve achieved so much – two-time world champion – but sometimes you feel like you need something fresh.
“Joe doesn’t have long left in his career and he would admit that himself. He’s looking for the biggest fights and the biggest opportunities.”