IT was all mutual respect when Anto Cacace and Leigh Wood met in London on Friday but the bottom line, said Belfast’s IBO super-featherweight champion, is that “we’re coming to take each other’s head off”.
Cacace and Wood didn’t bother with trading insults in their first press conference ahead of the May 10 world title battle at Nottingham Arena. It’s not their way and they don’t need to anyway. Two-time world champion Wood said 5,000 tickets have already gone and he expects a cauldron in the East Midlands on fight night.
“Anto is a great fighter,” said Wood who recalled with a laugh how a Michael Conlan fan had thrown a pint of beer over his boots as he made his way to the ring in 2023.
“I’m not looking past him. As always, I’m expecting and preparing for my hardest fight to date.
“His confidence is flying and rightly so. He’s coming off some really good wins – the (Joe) Cordina win especially was a massive win and beating (Josh) Warrington as well. I’m looking forward to going out there and strangling the confidence out of him round by round.
“I believe that’s what I’ve got to do – I know how to approach the fight, I know what I’ve got to do and we’ve been working on it. It’s not going to be easy but I’m confident in doing so.
“I’m very confident, not just of winning but getting Anto out of there.”
Cacace greeted that prediction with a trademark grin through his garibaldi beard. Wood has proven against Conlan, Warrington, Lara and others that has a stout heart, a granite chin and power in both hands. But after years in the shadows, Cacace feels his time has come and nothing Wood says will dent his confidence.
“It’s another massive fight – a two-time world champion who has proven himself on the world stage,” he said.
“This has got the recipe for Fight of the Year. I fully respect Leigh’s power but I’m ready and I’m coming to win in Nottingham.
“I’m confident when I fight, always. It’s taken me a bit longer to get here – same for Leigh. We’re both talented fighters and come May 10 we’ll be able to show what the public what we’re all about. I believe I could beat everybody in the super-featherweight division.
“Two years ago, this was a dream. I could never have seen myself in with the likes of Cordina, Warrington or Leigh Wood – I was watching these boys on TV. Now I’m in with him, I’ve beaten two of them and I’m onto the third. I’m taking it all in as I go along, it’s been a great trip.
“I’ve got that fire burning inside me, I want to continue this journey. Leigh’s been the whole way through his journey but mine’s only starting and I’m 36. I believe it’s my time and it’s going to be a great fight on May 10.”