Cacace and Wood: three of the best

On Saturday night, Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood meet in what looks like a can’t-fail super featherweight showdown at Nottingham Arena. For all the latest fight odds, visit our sportsbook.

DAZN will televise the Queensberry-promoted show from Nottingham Arena.

Some fights leap off the screen when they are announced and the clash between the heavy-handed former IBF super featherweight champion, Cacace, and thrill-a-minute two-time WBA featherweight champion, Wood, seems certain to provide fireworks.

The pair of 36-year-olds have worked long and hard and battled against the odds to reach this point.

Let’s have a look back at three of each man’s most important victories.

ANTHONY CACACE (23-1, 8 KOs)

CACACE v MAGNESI – September 2022

Cacace had been avoided, plagued by injury, inactivity and bad luck and was running out of time to prove he was as good as those who knew him insisted he was when he was pitched into a make or break fight with Michael Magnesi.

The relatively unknown Italian arrived in England with a long unbeaten record, a solid knockout ratio and a six year advantage in age.

The fight was given a prime spot on the undercard of the heavyweight fight between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker and the fringe IBO super featherweight title was put on the line.

Cacace boxed his way through the early rounds as the aggressive Magnesi pressed the action but then got on top over the second half of the fight. He fully deserved the split decision he was awarded.

It is no exaggeration to say that had things not gone Cacace’s way, he may have struggled to find the motivation to regather himself for another assault on the top of the division and drifted away from the sport.

CACACE v CORDINA – May 2024

In his twelfth year as a professional fighter, Cacace was finally handed the chance to fight for a major world title. Not only that, the fight was placed on the undercard of the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

IBF super featherweight champion, Joe Cordina, presented a formidable challenge but having waited so long for his opportunity, Cacace was in no mood to let it slip away.

On the biggest of stages, Cacace produced the best performance of his career. He tore Cordina’s title away with a thrilling display of power punching. He dropped Cordina in the third round and absorbed everything that came back his way before finding a finish in the eighth round.

CACACE v WARRINGTON – September 2024

Two years earlier, Cacace had been due to box at Wembley Stadium on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s heavyweight title defence against Dillian Whyte but faced heartbreak when his opponent, Jhonatan Romero, was ruled out of the fight due to visa issues.

Beating Cordina earned him the opportunity to return to the famous stadium and – although his IBF title wasn’t on the line – Josh Warrington’s status as a two-time featherweight champion ensured that their twelve round fight attracted plenty of attention.

Neither man was at their rampaging best but Cacace controlled much of the action and – desperate to keep himself in the mix for major fights – he took no risks and boxed his way to a wide unanimous decision.

LEIGH WOOD (28-3, 17 KOs)

WOOD v XU

Wood had established a reputation as a capable, exciting domestic fighter when the opportunity to face the reputed Chinese buzzsaw, Can Xu, for the WBA world title presented itself.

The fight took place on a Matchroom Fight Camp show and although Wood entered the fight as a prohibitive underdog, he quickly tamed Xu with some smart boxing and accurate straight shots.

His comfort level grew as the rounds passed by and rather than coasting to a decision, he found a right hand in the final round to drop Xu and bring a conclusive finish to the fight.

Overnight, Wood graduated from British to world level.

WOOD v CONLAN

Wood’s first defence came against Irish hero, Michael Conlan, at an atmospheric Nottingham Arena.

Conlan got off to a sensational start and dropped Wood in the opening round but rather than relying on the boxing skill that earned him plenty of accolades at major international tournaments, Conlan got involved in a war and played directly into Wood’s hands.

The fight became a tense, exciting back and forth battle with Wood slowly edging back into the fight before he dropped a tiring Conlan in the eleventh round.

Not wanting to leave any doubt, Wood jumped off his stool and punched Conlan out of the ring to bring a dramatic conclusion to the fight.

His reputation as an action hero was firmly established.

WOOD v WARRINGTON

In October 2023, Wood and Warrington engaged in a fiery build up and produced an equally as entertaining fight.

Desperate to become a two-weight world champion, Warrington rolled back the years and produced a performance of fire and effort. He grabbed the fight by the scruff of the neck, timing his attacks to deny Wood the time and space he needed to be effective.

Wood refused to panic but as the rounds passed by and with Warrington showing no signs of slowing down, there must have been a growing sense of panic building in the Nottingham man as the fight passed the halfway point.

Suddenly, Wood found a thunderous right hook that stopped the Leeds man in his tracks and followed up with a hard, accurate burst to drop him heavily to the canvas.

The bell to end the round sounded during the mayhem and although Warrington scrambled to his feet, the referee halted the fight.

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