Joel Kodua has featured on marquee undercards, boxed on big bills and even a stadium show during his three-year pro stint.

Yet last Saturday, he headlined a York Hall bill promoted by Neilson Boxing and TM4 Promotions, live streamed on talkSPORT, and produced a career-best display en route to a 10th-round stoppage win over champion Daniel Francis (10-1, 2 KOs).

The victory was sweeter knowing he boxed through the pain barrier with an injured right hand as early as the opening round, and finished with a dizzying sequence of unanswered left hooks to leave Francis floundering.

"I know my skillset and level, I started boxing in 2018 ... came off the railway doing graveyard shifts, shovelling stones and fixing train tracks. Daniel's good but this wasn't a 50-50 fight. This opened a lot of people's eyes, I've got the engine and I'm world level," he told talkSPORT afterwards.

The 28-year-old, who quit his railway job the year he turned pro, sealed his first two titles in the paid ranks.

Head trainer Tunde Ajayi admitted in his weekly podcast Monday that it could've been a very different sequence of events had another prospective opponent not been sidelined by injury.

"I'm a slow coach, I always make sure [boxers] get their development and then we take opportunities if they arise. I said we'll fight another kid who Francis beat, apparently he was injured — I wouldn't like to go up against my old friend Martin Bowers anyway — Jon kept asking me about Daniel, I said I didn't want it. He said BoxRec made Joel a slight favourite, but I don't go by that.

"I spoke to Joel and asked, he said 'let's go,' Jon made the fight and it was all against us. Daniel was the house fighter, defending champion but Joel showed skills and levels, it's fantastic for me to watch him grow."

Luton's Oliver Duffy (7-1, 1 KO) was the man in question, narrowly losing 96-95 for the vacant Southern Area title in a fan-friendly encounter on March 22.

Kodua (9-0, 2 KOs) is an understated character preferring to let his boxing speak for itself. Mentored by two-time light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs), a long-term Queensberry deal was viable though he flattered to deceive against rugged journeymen who take pride in going the distance and thus avoiding medical-enforced suspensions.

His last two outings have been on shows promoted by Ben Shalom's BOXXER promotion on Sky Sports, though they don't have many fight dates and had no incentive to retain him after Yarde reunited with Frank Warren earlier this year.

Getting to 7-0 without a knockout or flashy highlight reel as a professional these days is akin to self-inflicted schadenfreude, an acceptance you'll be buried on non-televised card slots or stashed on the sidelines waiting for your luck to change.

Connections help and with the Ajayi-Yarde pairing firmly in his corner, promoter John Tretheway was singled out for recognition after being determined to persuade Ajayi into making the fight. The calculated gamble has paid off.

"He's always in the gym or training. I never let anyone around me rest on their laurels, hard work and struggle produce results and as long as he continues to do that, it's going to be exciting."

Along with scooping the Southern Area and Commonwealth Silver titles, Kodua won what was an English title eliminator for a belt recently vacated by Queensberry-backed Sean Noakes (10-0, 5 KOs).

There are a lot of moving parts to consider, but there could easily be an impromptu six-man tournament of sorts to decide England's best at 147 pounds.

Travis Waters vs. Thomas Hill is set for Oct. 25 in another eliminator, while Robert Dalton vs. Duffy awaits a new date after the latter's aforementioned injury, per the BBBofC's latest circular.

Having started 2025 without a stoppage and an uncertain roadmap towards titles, Kodua has pitched consecutive stoppages and increased exposure halfway through the year.

Already back in the gym shadowboxing and honing his craft, now isn't the time to bask in a morale-boosting result as time doesn't stop for you to celebrate — back to work like the rest of us.