From Forgotten Fighter to Championship Glory Cacace Seeks Second Crown

Anthony Cacace is just one win away from regaining world championship glory. The 37-year-old Belfast boxer will face WBA super-featherweight title holder James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at Dublin’s 3 Arena on Saturday, seeking to become a two-time world champion. Cacace’s path to this opportunity has been far from straightforward, plagued with injuries, fighter withdrawals and cancelled fights that threatened to 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 beaten Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood, establishing himself as a dominant presence in the division.

The Lengthy Road to Acceptance

Anthony Cacace’s path toward world championship contention reads like a testament to resilience in the face of the odds. For the bulk of his professional career, the Belfast fighter remained largely overlooked despite possessing undeniable talent. Injuries hampered his progression at key points, while opponent withdrawals and eleventh-hour pullouts became an unfortunate pattern that threatened to end his championship dreams completely. Through it all, Cacace would not relinquish his ambitions, balancing demanding workouts at Holy Trinity Boxing Club with evening shifts working pizza delivery to get by financially. His firm belief that his moment would eventually arrive kept him motivated during the toughest stretches of disappointment and frustration.

The pivotal moment came in May 2024 when Cacace received his long-awaited opportunity on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk versus Tyson Fury in Riyadh, opposing IBF champion Joe Cordina. Reunited with his amateur coach Michael Hawkins and his team, Cacace took the chance with both hands, producing a career-defining performance that won the IBF title. His triumphant return to Belfast was marked by a heroes’ reception and a mural painted near his Andersonstown home, solidifying 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 opponent withdrawals disrupted Cacace’s early professional development consistently
• Worked as a pizza delivery worker while chasing boxing ambitions full-time
• Won IBF championship in May 2024 against Joe Cordina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Has since beaten Warrington and Wood, improving record to 24 wins

A Champion’s Mindset Shaped Through Hardship

What Cacace carries into the 3 Arena on Saturday is something that cannot be learned in any training camp: the psychological strength of a boxer who has endured years of disappointment and grown stronger for it. His route to world title contention was anything but conventional, yet it has equipped him with a toughness that few rivals possess. At 37 years old, Cacace appreciates the importance of chances in the professional sport. All setbacks, all cancelled fights, all injuries has functioned as training for moments exactly like this. His training team—Michael Hawkins Sr, Ruairi Dalton, Michael Hawkins Jr, and Barry O’Neill—recognizes this psychological advantage 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 wasted time but as part of something bigger, 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 perspective, 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 Prominence

Cacace’s opponent, Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, grasps this battle intimately. The WBA champion has traveled a comparably difficult path to contention for a world title, dedicating some 15 years working through the professional circuit before finally achieving his breakthrough. Dickens fell short previously in world-title fights at both super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions, tasting the harsh reality of loss when championship gold seemed within reach. These setbacks could have defined his boxing career, yet like Cacace, he pushed past the letdown and kept grinding toward his ultimate goal.

Dickens’ turning point occurred last July when he produced a stunning performance facing 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to claim the ‘interim’ WBA title, which was subsequently elevated to full championship status during December. This victory represented the culmination of his lengthy journey and established him as a formidable title holder. Both fighters come in Dublin carrying the weight of their histories, having faced years of disappointments prior to attaining title level. This shared understanding of adversity forges a compelling story where no fighter can claim superiority based on mental toughness 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 relied deeply on spiritual conviction to sustain him through many challenges. Severe injuries that could have derailed his career, opponents who pulled out at critical times, 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 unshakeable faith in providence has become his most valuable strength, a psychological anchor that sets him apart from fighters who might have surrendered to frustration long ago.

This faith goes past individual strength into his daily preparation. Working alongside his training staff 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 counterintuitively strengthens his ability to compete. Athletes operating from abundance rather than scarcity often perform with greater clarity and purpose. For Cacace, the years of struggle have crystallized into a single objective: seizing this opportunity to win his second world title before time runs out.

• Cacace attributes faith for sustaining him through professional challenges and injuries
• His coaching team offers stability and mentorship throughout his title fight preparation
• Gratitude rather than desperation defines his mindset entering the Saturday championship bout

Heritage and Potential Converge in Dublin

The 3 Arena in Dublin symbolizes more than just a fighting arena for Anthony Cacace—it stands as the culmination of a path that has challenged his determination at every turn. Saturday’s battle against WBA champion James ‘Jazza’ Dickens holds deep meaning more than the title at stake. For a fighter who spent years as an overlooked name in the sport, grinding through obscurity while delivering pizzas between workouts, this moment means redemption. The mural painted near his Andersonstown home in Belfast following his IBF championship win in 2024 acts as a lasting testament that his people continued to believe, even when opportunities felt unreachable.

Cacace’s route to this championship rematch has been remarkably swift since his breakthrough victory over Joe Cordina in Riyadh. Within eighteen months, he has defeated Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, proving himself as a genuine force at super-featherweight. His record now reflects 24 wins with just one defeat, a statistic that understates the quality of his recent performances. At 37, Cacace understands the window for championship glory shrinks with every bout. This Dublin encounter may represent his last chance to secure his place permanently into boxing history as a repeat world champion.