Anthony Cacace makes first defence against Warrington in Wembley
Anthony Cacace will make the first defence of his IBF world title against Josh Warrington on a massive Wembley card this coming September.
Rumour circulating this week suggested ‘The Apache”s’ mandatory Edwardo Nunez had agreed to step aside to allow the champion to make a voluntary defence.
It was understood Warrington, Leigh Wood and Zelfa Barrett were all in the frame, with former Eric Donovan foe Barrett being favourite to win the race to face Cacace due to his IBF ranking.
However, it’s former Patrick Hyland and Carl Frampton foe, Warrington for the Belfast fighter, who became Ireland’s first super featherweight world champion when he defeated Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia in May.
The clash will be part of the massive Matchroom and Queensberry Riyhan Season Wembley card which will be topped by an IBF world title fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubios.
It’s back to heavyweight world undercards for the Holy Trinity fighter considering he won his strap on the Oleksandr Usyk – Tyson Fury undisputed clash.
Warrington, who called for the fight as soon as Cacace dethroned Cordina, has Irish previous having defeated ‘Pajo’ Hyland before shocking Irish boxing legend and close Cacace pal Carl Frampton.
Leeds favourite Warrington has lost his last two, to Luis Alberto Lopez and Leigh Wood, meaning Cacace would be favourite going in against the former world champion.
Defeat Warrington and Cacace would have made it back-to-back wins over Matchroom fighters and with Mexican Nunez, who is also on the books of Eddie Hearn sure to be next, Cacace’s one-man mission to upset the Essex fighter maker would continue – and with Wood and Barrett also eager to fight, he could tie an Irish revenge mission into that too.
The Wembley element of the bout is almost representative of the turnaround in the Belfast man’s fortunes. Cacace strongly considered retirement after his proposed Wembley hosted bout with Jhonathan Romeo was cancelled last minute.
