From Forgotten Fighter to Championship Glory Cacace Seeks Second Crown

Anthony Cacace is one victory 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 titleholder. Cacace’s road to this shot has been far from straightforward, marked by injuries, fighter withdrawals and cancelled fights that threatened to derail his career entirely. Yet the former IBF champion persevered, working as a delivery driver while training relentlessly, until his breakthrough came in May 2024 against Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia. Since claiming that first world title, Cacace has defeated Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood, proving himself to be a dominant presence in the division.

The Extended Path to Recognition

Anthony Cacace’s journey to world championship contention serves as a testament to determination amid the odds. For the majority of his professional career, the Belfast fighter remained largely overlooked despite possessing undeniable talent. Injuries plagued his progression at critical junctures, while opponent withdrawals and last-minute cancellations became an troubling trend that threatened to snuff out his championship dreams entirely. Through it all, Cacace declined to abandon his ambitions, balancing demanding workouts at Holy Trinity Boxing Club with evening shifts working pizza delivery to make ends meet. His firm belief that his moment would eventually arrive kept him focused during the most difficult times 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, delivering a career-best performance that won the IBF title. His triumphant return 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 watershed moment, Cacace has maintained his impressive run, beating Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, positioning himself as a legitimate championship contender.

• Injuries and fighters withdrawing disrupted Cacace’s early career progression repeatedly
• Worked as a pizza delivery driver while pursuing boxing dreams full-time
• Won the IBF title in May 2024 against Joe Cordina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Has since defeated Warrington and Wood, improving record to 24 victories

A Winner’s Mindset Built Through Hardship

What Cacace brings 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 emerged stronger for it. His journey to world championship status was far from conventional, yet it has provided him with a mental strength that few competitors possess. At 37 years old, Cacace understands the precious nature of chances in the professional sport. All setbacks, all cancelled fights, all injuries has acted as preparation for moments exactly like this. His coaching team—Michael Hawkins Sr, Ruairi Dalton, Michael Hawkins Jr, and Barry O’Neill—acknowledges this psychological advantage and has designed his preparation to capitalize on it.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI during training sessions at Holy Trinity Boxing Club, Cacace’s thoughtful perspective to his career becomes evident. He views his extended hardship not as wasted time but as part of a greater design, a belief that drives 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 motivation. This perspective, born from real struggle rather than cliché, represents the mentality of a man who refuses to squander what may be his final opportunity at championship glory.

Dickens’ Rise to Success

Cacace’s opponent, Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, understands this challenge intimately. The WBA champion has followed a equally demanding path to contention for a world title, spending roughly 15 years climbing the professional ranks before eventually attaining his breakthrough moment. Dickens fell short previously in fights for world titles at both super-bantamweight and featherweight, experiencing the harsh reality of loss when world gold looked within reach. These disappointments could have determined his career, yet similar to Cacace, he worked through the frustration and continued grinding toward his ultimate goal.

Dickens’ major breakthrough came last July when he delivered a stunning performance facing 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to claim the ‘interim’ WBA title, which was later elevated to full championship status in December. This victory marked the pinnacle of his lengthy path and established him as a dominant champion. Both competitors come in Dublin bearing the weight of their experiences, having endured years of disappointments before reaching title level. This shared understanding of adversity forges a compelling story where neither competitor can assert superiority grounded in psychological strength alone.

Faith as Foundation

At 37 years old, Anthony Cacace carries considerably more than boxing experience into the 3 Arena. Throughout his career, he has depended significantly on spiritual conviction to sustain him through many challenges. Injuries that should have ended his career, opponents who pulled out at critical times, and years spent delivering pizzas between training sessions could have undermined his commitment. Instead, Cacace converted these struggles into fuel, seeing every obstacle as part of a greater purpose. This unshakeable faith in providence has become his most important advantage, a psychological anchor that sets him apart from fighters who might have given in to discouragement long ago.

This faith goes past individual strength into his everyday training routine. 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 urgency. He describes his present situation as “a dream come true,” a viewpoint that paradoxically enhances his competitive edge. Athletes operating from plenty instead of lack often compete with improved focus and purpose. For Cacace, the years of struggle have crystallized into a singular focus: seizing this opportunity to claim his next championship belt before it’s too late.

• Cacace credits spiritual belief for sustaining him through professional challenges and injuries
• His coaching staff offers stability and mentorship throughout his championship preparation
• Gratitude rather than desperation defines his mental approach entering the Saturday championship bout

Heritage and Potential Come Together in Dublin

The 3 Arena in Dublin symbolizes more than just a fighting arena for Anthony Cacace—it marks the culmination of a path that has pushed his mental strength at every turn. Saturday’s battle against WBA champion James ‘Jazza’ Dickens bears major importance past the championship at stake. For a fighter who spent years as a forgotten figure in boxing, pushing through obscurity while making pizza deliveries between training sessions, this moment means redemption. The artwork created near his Andersonstown home in Belfast after his IBF championship win in 2024 acts as a lasting testament that his supporters continued to believe, even when chances felt unreachable.

Cacace’s journey 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 defeated Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, proving himself as a real contender at super-featherweight. His record now reflects 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 last chance to etch his name permanently into boxing history as a two-time champion.