IBO super-featherweight world title: Anthony Cacace bt Josh Warrington pts
THERE wasn’t a cloud in the sky during fight week in London. It was brilliant weather from start to finish and then, on the way home from Wembley Stadium after a spectacular sporting event ended with Daneil Dubois’ brutal KO-ing of over-confident Anthony Joshua, the heavens opened.
But who cared?
After all, Anthony Cacace – the fighting pride of Belfast - had made his hay while the sun shone.
With a comprehensive points win over Josh Warrington - the three judges scored it 118-110, 117-111, 117-111 in his favour - the former plasterer from Andersonstown has broken through boxing’s glass ceiling and into the elite level where the fights are massive and the pay cheques should match them.
He’s the first fighter from the North to do that since Carl Frampton and can now look forward to defending his IBF title against that organisation’s mandatory challenger Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez next year, or even stepping up to lightweight to face pound-for-pound superstars like Vasiliy Lomachenko or Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.
He never reached the levels he did against Joe Cordina in May – Warrington’s style didn’t allow for that – and the his performance was more workmanlike than brilliant. But he got the job done and, as he said, it’s “winner stays on” in boxing.
“I feel like I belong here now,” said Cacace.
“I’ve got ‘Sugar’ Nunez as the (IBF) mandatory, or do I move up to lightweight and be the mandatory for Lomachenko? Or do I fight ‘Tank’ Davis? These are all real fights and it blows my mind even mentioning those names.
“Get me in with one of these big names - whether it’s lightweight or ‘Sugar’ Nunez. Just make sure I’m getting paid well.
“A year and-a-half ago I was a wee fart in the wind, nobody gave a shit. But now I’m here and I’m doing the whole of Belfast – north, south, east and west – and Ireland and Italy proud and that’s what means the world to me.”
The naturally bigger man, broad-shouldered Cacace had a significant reach advantage and he used it by keeping a ramrod jab, sometimes followed up a straight shot off his backhand, in Warrington’s face when he tried to close the distance. When Warrington did get inside, Cacace tied him up and didn’t allow him to hammer out his trademark body-head salvos at close quarters.
“That’s experience,” said Cacace.
“I’m over 25 years’ in this game and I’m well clued-in how to spoil a fight, especially against small, stocky fighters because I’ve fought them my whole life and I’m big, tall, rangy and skinny. I’ve always been the one with the range and the power and the other fella is always trying to get in.
“I felt in control the whole time. The rounds were nip-and-tuck and I didn’t know if I was winning them but the judges thought I was and that’s what counts.”
Cacace got his tactics spot on against the Leeds Warrior who was, as always, brave and aggressive, but lacking the relentless energy that had seen him crowned world champion at featherweight half-a-dozen years ago.
That’s taking nothing away from Cacace of course. Starting in the orthodox stance, he got the start he’d have wanted. After a cagey first couple of minutes he fired out the jab and a left hook snapped Warrington’s head back mid-round and, although the Leeds man got the better of the second, that set the tone for the fight.
In the third, Cacace took control of the centre of the ring and, crucially, controlled the distance, spearing out the left jab as Warrington came on the attack.
A minute into the fourth he cracked a right hook flush off Warrington’s jaw. The Leeds native felt it and backed off as Cacace let another go and there was more of the same from the former Oliver Plunkett ABC and Holy Trinity ABC star in the fifth.
Warrington had nowhere to go. He couldn’t compete at range and Cacace tied him up when he got inside as he opened up a sizeable gap on the scorecards.
The Leeds Warrior began to step on the gas in the middle rounds but unflustered Cacace drained the life out of his legs in the clinches and his impressive workrate meant he kept the jab in his face and followed up a right-left uppercut combo with a raking left hook at the end of the seventh.
Lacking sparkle in his footwork, Warrington came forward in straight lines – as Cacace had predicted – and by the ninth he was blowing hard and looking tired. After a scrappy tenth, when referee Howard Foster had to repeatedly separate the fighters, Cacace, switching back to southpaw, kicked for home in the championship rounds.
Warrington soaked up a lot of leather as he tried to get into range for a game-changing right hand and Cacace’s corner urged their man on for a big finish. There was brief drama in the last when Cacace slipped on the wet canvas and seemed to sprain his ankle.
Cacace took a couple of left hooks as Warrington – who hinted at retirement afterwards – went for broke but he was never in any real trouble and celebrated at the final bell because he knew he’d done enough.
“I got the win and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
“It wasn’t an above-par performance and we all know that but Josh Warrington is a two-time world champion and he’s very smart, he’s clued in and the whole team around him are good a people who know what they’re doing.
“I’m just glad to get the win and winner stays on.
“I had to use my reach and my size against him. That head of his… I have cuts all over me but I’m not going to complain too much. The rounds were even-enough, he was strong and the only way to beat a guy like that is to keep him on the end of the jab.
“Mickey Hawkins was saying that in the corner the whole time. Maybe I should have listened a wee bit more at times, but the job’s done.
“A win’s a win and we march on. I’d put the performance below par and everyone’s happy. I want to give a big shout-out to Mickey Hawkins senior, Mickey Hawkins junior, Barry O’Neill, ‘The Rook’ (Ruairi) Dalton, my cutman Andy O’Neill… My team are all good people who want to see me do well and I feel that.”
Round by round
Round one
Cacace has to be happy with that start. Cagey first couple of minutes. Switching stance to orthodox – he fires out the jab and a left hook snapped Warrington’s head back mid-round. The Leeds man replied with a couple of counters late in the round.
Round two
Warrington closes the distance and gets in close which is where he likes it and where he does his best work. He was hammering away at Cacace’s body and a right uppercut was the best shot of the round.
Round three
Cacace controlling the centre of the ring and maintaining that distance control. Spearing out the left hand jab as Warrington comes in. Not the barnburner some predicted but it’s warming up nicely.
Round four
A minute into the round Cacace lands a right hook flush on the jaw. Warrington felt that! He backs off as Cacace lets another go. Spears in a couple of uppercuts later in the round and let’s Warrington know there’s more to come. I’ve got Cacace 3-1 up now. Long way to go!
Round five
Another Cacace round for my money. Sweet skills as he turns the jab into a crafty left hook. Warrington doesn’t look like the ball of energy that overwhelmed Carl Frampton six years ago. Not yet anyway...
Round six
Cacace corner complain about Warrington using his head. Cacace fighting a smart fight, keeping the Leeds man at distance and then tying him up when he tries to get in range.
Round seven
Another round ticks by with Cacace up on his toes and controlling the tempo. Bang-bang uppercuts and then a raking left hook. Warrington stepping on the gas but falling well behind.
Round eight
Not much in that one but again Warrington coming on in straight lines and Cacace dealing with his attacks without much fuss. The Apache needs to keep this workrate up over the championship rounds.
Round nine
They’re both tiring - particularly Warrington. Cacace’s corner encouraging him to put it on him but he isn’t taking any chances. The broad-shouldered Belfast man is still bossing a physical battle.
Round 10
A LOT of holding and grappling. Referee Howard Foster had to separate them half-a-dozen times. Whatever clean punches landed came from Cacace and the best was a late uppercut that zeroed into Warrington’s jaw
Round 11
Warrington on the front foot but he soaked up a lot of leather as he tried to get into range for a game-changing right hand. Cacace corner urging their man for a big finish. Last round coming up.
Round 12
Cacace slips on the canvas and hurts his ankle. He has to take a couple of left hooks from Warrington but surely he has done enough there. I’d make it 9-3, maybe 8-4 at a push to the ‘Andytown Apache’.
The judges’ scorecards: 118-110, 117-111, 117-111