From Forgotten Fighter to Championship Glory Cacace Seeks Second Crown

Anthony Cacace is just one win away from reclaiming world championship glory. The 37-year-old Belfast boxer will face WBA super-featherweight title holder James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at the 3 Arena in Dublin on Saturday, aiming to become a two-time world champion. Cacace’s path to this opportunity has been far from straightforward, plagued with injuries, fighter withdrawals and postponed bouts that risked derail his career entirely. Yet the ex-IBF champion persevered, working as a delivery driver while training intensively, until his breakthrough came in May 2024 facing Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia. Since claiming that maiden world title, Cacace has defeated Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood, proving himself to be a formidable force in the division.

The Extended Path to Recognition

Anthony Cacace’s journey to world championship contention reads like a testament to perseverance against the odds. For the majority of his professional career, the Belfast fighter remained largely overlooked despite possessing undeniable talent. Injuries plagued his progression at crucial moments, while opponent withdrawals and last-minute cancellations became an recurring problem that threatened to snuff out his championship dreams completely. Through it all, Cacace refused to surrender his ambitions, balancing demanding workouts at Holy Trinity Boxing Club with late-night work working pizza delivery to support himself. His steadfast conviction that his moment would eventually arrive kept him focused during the toughest stretches of setback and disappointment.

The pivotal moment came in May 2024 when Cacace received his long-anticipated opportunity on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk versus Tyson Fury in Riyadh, facing IBF champion Joe Cordina. Teamed up with his amateur coach Michael Hawkins and his team, Cacace seized the chance with both hands, producing a career-defining performance that captured the IBF title. His victorious homecoming to Belfast was marked by a hero’s welcome and a mural painted near his Andersonstown home, solidifying his status as a local sports legend. Since that defining moment, Cacace has maintained his impressive run, defeating Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, establishing himself as a legitimate championship contender.

• Injuries and opponent withdrawals disrupted Cacace’s early professional development repeatedly
• Worked as a pizza delivery worker while pursuing boxing dreams full-time
• Captured IBF championship in May 2024 facing Joe Cordina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Has since defeated Warrington and Wood, raising record to 24 victories

A Winner’s Mindset Built Through Challenges

What Cacace carries into the 3 Arena on Saturday is something that cannot be learned in any boxing gym: the mental fortitude of a fighter who has survived prolonged setbacks and come out stronger for it. His path to world championship contention was anything but typical, yet it has equipped him with a toughness that few rivals possess. At 37 years old, Cacace appreciates the importance of opportunity in professional boxing. Every setback, every cancelled fight, every injury has functioned as training for moments exactly like this. His corner team—Michael Hawkins Sr, Ruairi Dalton, Michael Hawkins Jr, and Barry O’Neill—understands this mental edge and has constructed his preparation to maximize it.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI during practice sessions at Holy Trinity Boxing Club, Cacace’s thoughtful perspective to his career becomes evident. He views his long struggle not as lost time but as part of something bigger, a belief that drives his confidence heading into this contest. “I’ve had my fair share of letdowns and pull-outs, but it’s all been in God’s plan,” he explained, reflecting on years of frustration transformed into motivation. This outlook, born from real struggle rather than cliché, represents the mentality of a man who refuses to waste what may be his last chance at championship glory.

Dickens’ Journey to the Top

Cacace’s opponent, Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, grasps this challenge intimately. The WBA titleholder has followed a comparably difficult path to contention for a world title, spending roughly 15 years climbing the professional circuit before finally achieving his breakthrough moment. Dickens previously fell short in world-title fights at both super-bantamweight and featherweight, experiencing the bitter taste of defeat when world gold looked within reach. These setbacks could have determined his professional career, yet similar to Cacace, he pushed past the disappointment and pressed on toward his final objective.

Dickens’ turning point occurred in July when he produced a stunning performance facing 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to claim the ‘interim’ WBA title, which was later elevated to undisputed championship status in December. This victory marked the pinnacle of his lengthy path and cemented him as a dominant title holder. Both fighters arrive in Dublin bearing the weight of their experiences, having endured lengthy periods of disappointments prior to attaining championship level. This shared understanding of adversity creates a captivating narrative where no fighter can claim superiority based on psychological strength alone.

Belief as the Foundation

At 37 years old, Anthony Cacace carries far more than boxing experience into the 3 Arena. Throughout his career, he has depended significantly on spiritual conviction to support him through numerous setbacks. Career-threatening injuries, opponents who withdrew at crucial moments, and time spent working as a pizza deliverer between training sessions could have undermined his commitment. Instead, Cacace turned these difficulties into fuel, treating each disappointment as part of a greater purpose. This steadfast conviction in providence has become his most valuable strength, a mental foundation that separates him from fighters who might have surrendered to frustration long ago.

This faith goes past personal resilience into his daily preparation. Working alongside his coaching team at Holy Trinity Boxing Club—Michael Hawkins Sr, his son Michael Jr, Ruairi Dalton, and Barry O’Neill—Cacace operates from a place of genuine gratitude rather than urgency. He describes his present situation as “a dream come true,” a perspective that paradoxically enhances his competitive edge. Fighters working from plenty instead of lack often perform with greater clarity and purpose. For Cacace, the period of hardship have solidified into a singular focus: taking this chance to claim his next championship belt before time runs out.

• Cacace attributes spiritual belief for sustaining him through career setbacks and injuries
• His coaching team provides guidance and support throughout his title fight preparation
• Appreciation over desperation shapes his mental approach entering the Saturday championship bout

Legacy and Opportunity Come Together in Dublin

The 3 Arena in Dublin represents more than just a boxing venue for Anthony Cacace—it marks the culmination of a path that has pushed his mental strength at every turn. Saturday’s showdown against WBA titleholder James ‘Jazza’ Dickens holds deep meaning more than the title at stake. For a fighter who spent years as boxing’s forgotten man, grinding through obscurity while delivering pizzas between training, this moment means redemption. The mural painted near his Andersonstown home in Belfast following his IBF title victory in 2024 serves as a permanent reminder that his supporters never stopped believing, even when opportunities seemed impossibly distant.

Cacace’s path to this championship rematch has been impressively quick since his impressive triumph over Joe Cordina in Riyadh. Within a year and a half, he has overcome Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, establishing himself as a genuine force at super-featherweight. His record now shows 24 wins with just one defeat, a statistic that fails to capture the quality of his recent performances. At 37, Cacace knows the window for championship glory shrinks with every bout. This Dublin encounter may represent his final opportunity to etch his name permanently into boxing history as a repeat world champion.