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 challenge WBA super-featherweight title holder James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at Dublin’s 3 Arena on Saturday, aiming to become a two-time world champion. Cacace’s road to this shot has been anything but straightforward, marked by injuries, opponent withdrawals and cancelled fights that risked derail his career entirely. Yet the ex-IBF champion pushed forward, working as a pizza delivery driver while training relentlessly, until his breakthrough moment in May 2024 against Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia. Since winning that maiden world title, Cacace has beaten Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood, establishing himself as a formidable force in the division.

The Lengthy Road to Acknowledgment

Anthony Cacace’s path toward world championship contention serves as a testament to resilience in the face of the odds. For the majority of his professional career, the Belfast fighter stayed 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 extinguish his championship dreams altogether. Through it all, Cacace would not relinquish his ambitions, balancing intense training sessions at Holy Trinity Boxing Club with late-night work making pizza deliveries to make ends meet. His steadfast conviction that his moment would come in time kept him motivated during the toughest stretches of setback and disappointment.

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, opposing IBF champion Joe Cordina. Teamed up with his amateur coach Michael Hawkins and his team, Cacace took the chance with both hands, delivering 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, cementing his status as a local sports legend. Since that turning point, 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 hampered Cacace’s early career progression repeatedly
• Employed as a pizza delivery driver while pursuing boxing dreams full-time
• Captured the IBF title in May of 2024 against Joe Cordina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Has since defeated Warrington and Wood, improving record to 24 wins

A Winner’s Mindset Built Through Hardship

What Cacace carries into the 3 Arena on Saturday is something that cannot be learned in any training camp: the mental fortitude of a boxer who has endured extended disappointment and emerged stronger for it. His route to world title contention was anything but conventional, yet it has equipped him with a mental strength that few competitors possess. At 37 years old, Cacace understands the precious nature of opportunities in boxing’s professional ranks. All setbacks, all cancelled fights, all injuries has acted as preparation for moments precisely like this. His corner team—Michael Hawkins Sr, Ruairi Dalton, Michael Hawkins Jr, and Barry O’Neill—understands this psychological advantage and has built his preparation around maximizing 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 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 fair share 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 outlook, born from genuine hardship rather than cliché, represents the mindset of a man who refuses to squander what may be his last chance at title glory.

Dickens’ Path to the Top

Cacace’s opponent, Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, comprehends this battle intimately. The WBA champion has followed a comparably difficult path to world championship contention, spending roughly 15 years ascending the professional ranks before ultimately reaching his breakthrough. Dickens previously fell short in world championship bouts at both super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions, enduring the harsh reality of loss when championship gold seemed within reach. These disappointments could have defined his career, yet much like Cacace, he persevered through the frustration and continued grinding toward his ultimate objective.

Dickens’ breakthrough came last July when he delivered a stunning display against 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev to claim the ‘interim’ WBA title, which was later elevated to full championship status during December. This triumph represented the pinnacle of his lengthy path and established him as a dominant champion. Both competitors come in Dublin carrying the burden of their histories, having endured lengthy periods of setbacks before reaching championship level. This shared understanding of hardship creates a compelling story where neither competitor can claim dominance based on psychological strength alone.

Faith as 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 support him through many challenges. Injuries that should have ended his career, opponents who backed out when it mattered most, and lengthy periods delivering pizzas between training sessions could have undermined his commitment. Instead, Cacace turned these difficulties into fuel, treating each disappointment as part of a bigger plan. This unshakeable faith in providence has become his most important advantage, a psychological anchor that sets him apart from fighters who might have succumbed to despair long ago.

This faith extends beyond personal resilience 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 operates from a sense of true appreciation rather than desperation. He describes his present situation as “a dream come true,” a perspective that paradoxically enhances his competitive edge. Athletes operating from abundance rather than scarcity often perform with greater clarity and purpose. For Cacace, the years of struggle have solidified into a single objective: seizing this opportunity to win his next championship belt before it’s too late.

• Cacace attributes faith for supporting him through career setbacks and injuries
• His coaching staff offers stability and mentorship throughout his championship preparation
• Gratitude rather than desperation defines his mental approach entering Saturday’s title fight

Heritage and Potential Converge in Dublin

The 3 Arena in Dublin embodies more than just a fighting arena for Anthony Cacace—it marks the end result of a journey that has pushed his mental strength at every turn. The upcoming clash against WBA champion James ‘Jazza’ Dickens bears major importance 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 represents vindication. The artwork created near his Andersonstown home in Belfast after his IBF title victory in 2024 functions as a enduring symbol that his people kept faith, even when opportunities felt unreachable.

Cacace’s journey to this championship rematch has been remarkably swift since his impressive triumph over Joe Cordina in Riyadh. Within 18 months, he has beaten Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium and Leigh Wood in Nottingham, cementing his status 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 recognizes the window for championship glory closes with each fight. This Dublin encounter may represent his last chance to secure his place permanently into boxing history as a two-time world champion.