Headline NewsNews

Carl Frampton hails Anto Cacace as a world class talent

Leo Santa Cruz, Oscar Valdez, Miguel Berchelt, Joe Diaz and the like, Anthony Cacace [18(7)-1(0)] has the natural talent to give any top super featherweight trouble according to Carl Frampton.

After a stop star career to date, the fighter labelled one of Irish boxing’s biggest under achievers finally celebrated major title success last year.

‘The Apache’ defeated Sam Bowen to claim the British title and secured a promotional agreement with Frank Warren as a result.

Indeed, the Pat Magee managed mercurial talent has been told he is on the world title trail by his new promoter.

It’s a big turn around for the Belfast fighter and one former Cyclone stablemate Frampton is happy to see.

The former two weight world champion, who is on the super featherweight world title trail himself, has always been a Cacace cheer leader – and remains adamant the 31-year-old has enough natural talent to mix it with any of the world champions.

“He is only kind of touching what he can do,” Frampton said.

“I know Anto for a long time and I know how he can fight. I know how hard he punches. It’s one of them ones where the record doesn’t really suggest it. He is a serious serious puncher.

“If he just knuckles down and gets his head focused on boxing properly, Anto could mix it with the best of them and I really mean that. It might sound like an exaggeration, but knowing what he can do in the gym it isn’t.”

For Cacace to secure a world title fight it appears he would first have to defeat Archie Sharp.

It’s a bout Frank Warren seems to be pushing and considering both have world rankings there have been suggestions it could be made as a world title eliminator.

With Warren having a close working relationship with the WBO and with Sharp being the holder of that associations European ranking title, it wouldn’t too far fetched to suggest any eliminator would be for the WBO world title.

Interestingly that is the strap Jamel Herring will next put on the line against Frampton.

If ‘The Jackal’ was the win the strap it remains to be seen whether or not he’d want to defend against a friend, but either way Frampton see’s Cacace versus Sharp as a good fight.

“Archie Sharp versus Anthony Cacace would be a good fight. Anto is a good friend of mine and he is a quality fighter. I would pick Anto to win that fight, but Archie is an up and coming kid with plenty about him.”

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

x