Overview
- South Wales Police have charged Joseph Cordina with assault and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in connection with an incident that occurred on February 27, 2026, and he is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 7.
- A second man, Jamie O’Brien, has been charged with assault over the same February 27 incident and is scheduled to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 28.
- Cordina announced on Instagram that the US Embassy in London denied his visa, which he says forced him to withdraw from the WBO lightweight title bout in Cleveland that was due to take place on July 4.
- Promoters have moved to rework the July 4 fight card, with Ring Magazine and other outlets reporting Abdullah Mason is now expected to face Albert Bell in Cordina’s absence.
- Cordina is a former IBF super-featherweight champion who recently moved up to lightweight with consecutive wins, and the pending charges plus travel restrictions create immediate legal and career uncertainty ahead of the magistrates' hearings.