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 challenge 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 road to this shot has been anything but straightforward, plagued with injuries, opponent withdrawals and postponed bouts that risked derail his career entirely. Yet the ex-IBF champion persevered, working as a pizza delivery driver while training intensively, until his breakthrough moment in May 2024 facing Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia. Since claiming that first world title, Cacace has defeated Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood, proving himself to be a formidable force in the division.

The Lengthy Road to Acceptance

Anthony Cacace’s path toward world championship contention serves as a testament to perseverance against the odds. For the majority of his professional career, the Belfast fighter remained largely overlooked despite having undeniable talent. Injuries plagued his progression at key points, while fighter withdrawals and sudden cancellations became an unfortunate pattern that threatened to snuff out his championship dreams altogether. Through it all, Cacace declined to abandon his ambitions, balancing demanding workouts at Holy Trinity Boxing Club with evening shifts making pizza deliveries to support himself. His firm belief that his moment would ultimately happen kept him focused during the most difficult times of frustration and letdown.

The pivotal moment came in May 2024 when Cacace got his long-awaited 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, delivering a career-best performance that won the IBF title. His victorious homecoming to Belfast was highlighted by a hero’s welcome and a mural painted near his Andersonstown home, cementing his status as a local sports legend. Since that defining moment, Cacace has continued his impressive run, defeating Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, establishing himself as a legitimate championship contender.

• Injuries and fighters withdrawing disrupted Cacace’s early professional development consistently
• Employed as a pizza delivery worker while chasing boxing ambitions full-time
• Won the IBF title in May 2024 against Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia
• Has since beaten Warrington and Wood, raising record to 24 wins

A Competitor’s Mindset Forged Through Challenges

What Cacace brings into the 3 Arena on Saturday is something that cannot be taught in any training camp: the psychological strength of a boxer who has endured extended disappointment and emerged stronger for it. His route to world title contention was far from conventional, yet it has equipped him with a resilience that few opponents possess. At 37 years old, Cacace understands the precious nature of chances in the professional sport. Each setback, each cancelled bout, each injury has functioned as training for occasions exactly like this. His coaching 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 philosophical approach to his career becomes evident. He views his extended hardship not as lost time but as part of a greater design, a belief that fuels his confidence heading into this fight. “I’ve had my plenty of letdowns and pull-outs, but it’s all been in God’s plan,” he explained, reflecting on extended periods of disappointment transformed into drive. 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 title glory.

Dickens’ Rise to the Top

Cacace’s opponent, Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, comprehends this struggle intimately. The WBA champion has followed a similarly arduous path to contention for a world title, spending roughly 15 years working through the professional ranks before eventually attaining his major breakthrough. Dickens fell short previously in world-title fights at both super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions, experiencing the bitter taste of loss when world gold appeared within grasp. These disappointments could have determined his career, yet similar to Cacace, he pushed past the disappointment and continued grinding toward his final objective.

Dickens’ breakthrough came last July when he produced a impressive display facing 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to claim the ‘interim’ WBA title, which was subsequently elevated to undisputed championship status during December. This victory represented the culmination of his lengthy journey and established him as a formidable champion. Both fighters arrive in Dublin carrying the burden of their histories, having faced years of setbacks before reaching title level. This shared understanding of hardship creates a compelling story where no competitor can assert dominance grounded in psychological strength alone.

Belief as Foundation

At 37 years old, Anthony Cacace carries far more than boxing experience into the 3 Arena. Throughout his career, he has leaned heavily on spiritual conviction to sustain him through countless disappointments. Severe injuries that could have derailed his career, opponents who backed out when it mattered most, and time spent working as a pizza deliverer between training sessions could have broken his resolve. Instead, Cacace transformed these hardships into fuel, seeing every obstacle as part of a larger design. This steadfast conviction in providence has become his most important advantage, a mental foundation that sets him apart from fighters who might have succumbed to despair long ago.

This faith goes past personal resilience into his everyday training routine. Working alongside his coaching team at Holy Trinity Boxing Club—Michael Hawkins Sr, his son Michael Jr, Ruairi Dalton, and Barry O’Neill—Cacace works from a place of genuine gratitude rather than desperation. He characterizes his present situation as “a dream come true,” a perspective that paradoxically enhances his competitive edge. Athletes operating from plenty instead of lack often perform with greater clarity and purpose. For Cacace, the period of hardship have crystallized into a singular focus: taking this chance to claim his second world title before it’s too late.

• Cacace attributes faith for sustaining him through career setbacks and injuries
• His coaching staff offers guidance and support throughout his title fight preparation
• Appreciation over desperation shapes his mindset entering the Saturday championship bout

Legacy and Opportunity Come Together in Dublin

The 3 Arena in Dublin embodies more than just a fighting arena for Anthony Cacace—it stands as the conclusion to a journey that has pushed his mental strength at every turn. Saturday’s battle against WBA champion James ‘Jazza’ Dickens holds deep meaning beyond the belt at stake. For a boxer who spent years as boxing’s forgotten man, grinding through obscurity while making pizza deliveries between training sessions, this moment means redemption. The mural painted near his Andersonstown home in Belfast after his IBF championship win in 2024 serves as a lasting testament that his people continued to believe, even when opportunities felt unreachable.

Cacace’s route to this championship rematch has been strikingly rapid since his breakthrough victory over Joe Cordina in Riyadh. Within a year and a half, he has beaten Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, proving himself as a real contender 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 understands the window for championship glory closes with each fight. This Dublin encounter may represent his final opportunity to etch his name permanently into boxing history as a repeat world champion.