Anto Cacace close to challenging for European Union title

Anto Cacace [16(7)-1(0)] is in preliminary talks with the EU Champion with regards to a title fight in the near future.

Ranked #4 in both Europe and the EU, the Belfast super featherweight is being considered by new champion Devis Boschiero [46(21)-5(1)-1] as a potential voluntary defence.

The veteran Italian won the secondary continental belt last week by dethroning Belgian Faroukh Kourbanov via twelve-round unanimous decision.

Should he look to defend the belt, Cacace is the 36-year-old Boschiero’s preference. However, the Venetian is primely placed with the International Boxing Federation [IBF] and may look to position himself for a world title shot.

Tevin Farmer and Billy Dib are set to do battle for the vacant belt in Sydney on August 4th. Away from these two, Boschiero is the second-highest ranked fighter with the IBF and may look to give up the belt in favour of a world title eliminator.

29-year-old Cacace has had something of a frustrating time since his narrow British and Commonwealth title loss to Martin J Ward last Summer, having just one keep-busy contest since then. The Andersonstown talent was due to face tough Ghanaian Joseph Laryea in a Commonwealth title final eliminator earlier this month but was forced to pull out with a minor injury.

His manager, Pat Magee, was also left unimpressed, in light of the close nature of his defeat to Ward, that Cacace was overlooked by the British board [BBBoC] for the subsequently vacated title. Sam Bowen would win this vacant belt in April, stopping Maxi Hughes in eight rounds.

Ward vacated the British belt following his win over Cacace but retained the Commonwealth strap. He then added the European title following a December stoppage of Juli Giner but lost both these belts to Belfast’s James Tennyson earlier this month on the Bellew-Haye rematch undercard at the O2 Arena in London.

‘The Assassin’ Tennyson, who was sparring with Cacace in the build-up to his brilliant Ward win, now faces a European title mandatory in the form of Frenchman Samir Ziani while his team are also keen for a shot at the WBA title held by Alberto Machado. By comparison, the Commonwealth belt looks to be low on their list of priorities and soon could be found vacant.

Magee told Irish-Boxing.com that “we have a number of things on a number of fronts.”

“Boschiero would be a great opportunity and we would take it in morning. We will have to see what happens there.”

“There’s the EU, the Commonwealth, and I hope that the BBBoC install Anthony as the mandatory contender for the British title when they next meet.”