Welsh boxer Joe Cordina is on top of the world after a stunning second-round knockout to win the IBF super-featherweight title.
Cordina, 30, downed champion Kenichi Ogawa with a right cross to snatch the world crown from him at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. The result thrilled his fans who had packed into the venue to roar on their home-town idol, with the eagerly-awaited contest over after less than five minutes.
It means Cordina becomes Wales' first world champion since Lee Selby back in 2015.
Cordina's triumph also marked the start of a huge weekend for Welsh sport, with Gareth Bale and his Wales team seeking to follow up by reaching the World Cup finals when they meet Ukraine at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday evening. Football fan Cordina is a big Cardiff City follower and his home-town Bluebirds had tweeted him a good luck message ahead of the contest.
It was expected to be a tight, cagey affair early on, but the two fighters conjured up an exciting opening round before Cordina's sensational finish in the second. The crushing right-hand saw Japanese ace Ogawa collapse to the canvas and everyone knew instantly the fight was over. Ogawa was counted out.
A beaming Cordina said afterwards: "I can call myself champion of the world. It feels amazing. I knew I'd get the win, it was how I did it. The reception I had from the crowd, I was going to knock down whoever was in front of me.
"What we worked on in the gym came off perfectly. I'm just so happy, so much work has gone into this one moment.
"I've been throwing some big punches in this camp, I've been in with the likes of Conor Benn and sparred with him and he is one of the most explosive boxers.
"We've been working on that punch in camp and it's an amazing feeling when you put hours and hours into it and it comes of f- in the fight and it's lights out."
Cordina becomes Wales' 13th world champion.
