Friday 3 August 2018 11:01, UK
Lee Selby expects Joe Cordina to win a world title and wants his friend to be "fast-tracked" to the top.
Cordina could pick up his first major title if he beats Sean 'Masher' Dodd for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight at Cardiff's Ice Arena Wales on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.
Selby, the former IBF featherweight champion, expects the Olympian to make light work of 'Masher' and not only sees him going all the way to the top, but hopes he isn't held back.
"He's good, really good," Selby told Sky Sports.
There are some fighters that need to go in with the journeymen, the ones that will give them something different, so they learn from it. But I don't see why they need to do that with Joe.
"He is fast and sharp, young and fresh and has very good boxing skills. He did very well in the amateurs, he was in my gym for a long time and we sparred hundreds of rounds together, and I do think he will go a very long way as a professional.
"If he does everything right - which is what he has been doing - I can only see him becoming a world champion.
"It's a tough division though, the lightweight division, and there are plenty of elite fighters in it. But by the time Joe is ready to fight for a world title - and sooner not later - they'll have moved on or up in weight.
"They have to fast track him, though. He has such a good amateur career and there's no point staying there for 300 fights or hang around too long as a professional, when you need international and world title-level fights in the pros.
"There are some fighters that need to go in with the journeymen, the ones that will give them something different, so they learn from it. But I don't see why they need to do that with Joe.
"What's the point in teaching him something he already knows?"
Selby, who is moving up to super-featherweight or lightweight following his world title defeat at the hands of Josh Warrington, could be part of the Ice Arena crowd on Saturday night.
Cordina will be headlining in Cardiff for the first time and even though the 'Welsh Wizard' preparations take place at Tony Sims gym in Essex, his friend expects the locals to get behind their new start.
"Where he goes to train, means he is a little bit out of the picture here in Cardiff, but with social media playing a part and him boxing on those two Joshua undercards, people know who he is.
"His friends will be there, there'll have told their friends. I'm sure Cardiff will get behind him, because he definitely looks like he will be bringing world titles back to Cardiff."
Watch Joe Cordina against Sean 'Masher' Dodd, for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title, on NXTGEN, from the Ice Arena, Cardiff, August 4, live on Sky Sports Mix, from 7.30pm and Sky Sports Action, from 8.30pm.
