Professional boxers can grind through their careers for many years before a single night transforms their career from commonplace to champion. Anthony Cacace is one of those who saw an upset win over Joe Cordina to win the IBF World Super Featherweight title change his life. More importantly to Cacace, it changed the future for his three children.
Cacace now looks toward becoming a two-time world champion as he challenges Jazza Dickens of Liverpool in front of what’s sure to be a raucous house of fans at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday, March 14. Fans can view the entire Dickens vs Cacace card live on DAZN Boxing, with the main card starting at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.
Both fighters made weight on Friday. Dickens weighed in at 129.14 pounds, and Cacace at 129.5 pounds.
“Tomorrow night I’m coming to take that strap up to Belfast,” said Cacace. “I just want to get my hands on him! Tomorrow night can’t come soon enough.”
“The mutual respect will always be there, but no one is taking my belt,” vowed Dickens. “You wouldn’t give your livelihood away to anyone, would you?”
We joined Cacace this week during an evening cab ride in Dublin to talk about his journey, from struggling to get fights to becoming a world champion through grit and determination. It was all motivated by his role as a father to make a better life for his family.
Our Interview With Anthony Cacace
Massive Opportunity, Massive Upset for Cacace
Cacace seized his opportunity as the challenger for Cordina’s title on the undercard of the Usyk vs Fury event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2024.
“it taught me a bit of grit, you know what?” said Cacace. “I mean, it gave me the determination to continue on, because I always knew I had the skills, and I always believed it could be a world champion.
“Everybody around me would tell me, keep going. My family and friends, they all stuck by me, and I stuck to what I had to do, and finally, I become a world champion,” recalls Cacace.
It was a spectacular performance ending in an eighth-round knockout after Cacace roughed up the champion. He describes it not as one of the best experiences of his life, despite being so far from his home in Belfast and despite the doubters who questioned whether he deserved the opportunity.
“So that gave me the extra wee bit of motivation to push through. And for me, I knew in my heart of hearts that I could beat Joe Cordina, and I know I could have stopped him in that way. I’m just very grateful to be in this position, thank God,” said Cacace.
Cacace Seizes The Moment
Cacace isn’t the first and won’t be the last boxer to get motivation from his haters. “There’s a lot of people that don’t like to see you do well, don’t think that they maybe deserve to be there. It gives me that extra bit of drive and hunger, just to show them that I do deserve to be where I’m at.
“Especially with this next one coming up, I could cement my name, Anthony Cacace in Irish boxing history, and no one can doubt me.”
Following his victory over Cordina, Cacace went on a tear with three title defenses in 13 months, racking up victories against an impressive list: Cordina, Josh Warrington, and Leigh Wood. He found himself in training camp nearly the entire time. He was teed up for a fight against American Raymond Ford. The pace caught up to Cacace, resulting in a back injury forcing him out of action for ten months.
While Cacace didn’t wish for it, it gave him a newfound hunger and motivation. H says he feels revived.
“I would like to actually get that fight again at some point in my career, all being well,” said Cacace. But it kind of gave me a bit of a break, and a wee bit of hunger back again.”
Family Motivates Devoted Dad Cacace
What drives Cacace now is less about proving the doubters wrong or racking up accomplishments. It’s about the proud father of three giving his children a better life and opportunities beyond his own. He remembers all too well a time when despite his hard work, he wasn’t able to provide for them in the way he wanted.
“I wasn’t making any money, but I was still going to the gym, and I was still working hard, you know. I could have hung them up just to try and make ends meet, but the family, they told me to keep going, and if I ever needed support, I always got it from them.
“I was never really given too much opportunity before. I got my first taste of success in Saudi Arabia, and I’ve got a great team behind me that help motivate me, and they’re pushing me every single day.
“I’ve got three beautiful kids at home that I have to look at every day, and they give me incredible motivation to continue on. Forget about the boxing side and the title side. I mean, they’re enough to make me want to do this.
“The titles are nice, but I got to feed my kids, and I also have to look them in the eye every single day. They just bring me their new level of motivation; the love I have for them. I would like them to have a nice life and have nice things in life. Being a being a parent is a massive motivation for me.”
But don’t get it wrong. Cacace is hungry to achieve another major milestone. “You know, that’s what we’re all in this game for, to win a world title. So, you know, to win two of them is just a dream come true.”
Dickens vs Cacace Matchup
Cacace and his opponent, Dickens, express respect for each other. “Full respect to Jazza, he has done it the hard way, the same as I have,” said Cacace. Dickens said at the final news conference that titles don’t change the need for hard work.
“It is not really like that. It doesn’t change anything. you are training for a fight and training to win. If anything, you get better, you get more hungry and want more and more. When you become a champion you still have to go in there to win your own title back. It is just the same for me,” said Dickens.
Dickens said he’s watched Cacace’s last few fights. “I was very, very impressed by his style of boxing, how he can box like a small man and box like a big man. He is good at everything, really, so we will have to adapt to his skills. We’ve prepared for how we want to fight this fight and I am very excited to hear that first bell.”
Cacace said after his long break, he’s raring to go.
“Two years ago, I had absolutely nothing. Now I’ve won the IBO, the IBF, secured my family and done things I thought I couldn’t have. Now I am focusing on legacy and becoming a two-time world champ.
“I’ve got a big heart and big balls and I want this title so badly. I know Jazza has worked hard, got to this point and he’s not going to want to let it go. So, I know this has got all the makings of a great fight, a very fan-friendly fight. I am just buzzing about it,” said Cacace.
Irish Boxing Legacy Assured With Win
Cacace takes great pride in being Ireland’s first-ever super featherweight champion, and he feels repeating this accomplishment will cement his family name in history.
Asked to name Ireland’s all-time great fighters, Cacace lists Carl Frampton and Katie Taylor without hesitation, then himself with a bit of good humor, adding Barry McGuigan and Steve Collins.
The final question to Cacace was about his nickname. For an Irish fighter to be called “Apache” seems an odd fit. Cacace explained its origins with Carl Frampton’s team.
“Well, this is a funny story. When (Carl) was in the McGuigans’ gym, I was also part of that team. Brian McGuigan gave me the name the Apache,”said Cacace.
The original nickname recently got an upgrade. “A friend of mine, Tyrone ‘The Mighty Celt ‘McKenna, he jazzed it up a bit for me, and I’m called the ‘Andytown Apache,’” laughed a pleased Cacace on the nod to his home community of Andersontown in West Belfast. He received a hero’s welcome after winning his first title. No doubt he’ll get a second parade with a second world title win on Saturday.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist and the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). She is the Managing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.