ANTHONY Cacace went to Saudi Arabia virtually unknown outside boxing circles but he returned as a superstar this morning after blowing up a desert storm and knocking out the man who claimed to be the best super-featherweight in the world.
The Andersonstown boxer landed in Belfast City Airport after flying in from Dubai where he won the IBF super-featherweight title by stopping Joe Cordina in the eighth round.
Fellow boxers Tyrone McKenna and Ryan Bunett were at the airport to welcome the victorious fighter back.
Cacace was electric from the opening bell as he grabbed the opportunity he had waited 12 years to come. His power unsettled Joe Cordina early on and the tide turned Cacace’s way in the third round of their IBF & IBO unification battle when he trapped the Cardiff native in the corner. After a double right uppercut, a right hand sent the previously unbeaten Welshman crashing to the canvas.
Broad-shouldered Cacace kept the pressure on. At the end of the sixth he whipped four uppercuts in-a-row through out-gunned Cordina’s guard and a crunching right hook set up the coup des grace in the eighth round in Riyadh.
With Cordina out on his feet on the ropes, referee Bob Williams waved it off and Cacace – quickly joined by Michael Hawkins senior and junior and Holy Trinity coach Barry O’Neill took off around the ring in an unrestrained celebration which Frank Warren joined from ringside.
Speaking after Saturday night’s fight, Cacace said: “I’m just happy, very happy, I’m buzzing and I can’t believe it to be honest – I’m in shock.”
“I was there to beat him up and that’s exactly what I did I think. From the very first bell and that’s my honest opinion. From the first bell I thought: ‘I’ve got him’. In the stare-off he didn’t want any of it so I knew, I knew right away.
“I thought he was going to be quicker and he wasn’t. I was beating him to the jab and I was hurting him with every shot so I’m pleasantly surprised and now I’m more confident in my own ability.”
There was a stage of his career when it seemed Cacace would never get the chance to show off his talents at world title level. He didn’t fight at all in 2020 and just once in 2021 but he won the British title and the IBO title and forced his way into the reckoning.
“I think I could have done that 10 years ago,” he said.
“But the opportunity never arose and that’s just how life goes isn’t it? But in the end it did and I’ve beat supposedly the best 130lb fighter in the world. That makes the me the best 130lb-er in the world! I’m absolutely buzzing.
“The family are all partying and celebrating back home and enjoying life and I have to give all the props to Michael Hawkins junior because he has done absolutely everything for me from start to finish. He took on a managerial role and did everything for me and I couldn’t have done it without him.
“He belongs in this game and it was great to have his dad - and them all – on board, they gave me valuable knowledge and we had a good camp, a good gameplan and we all worked it down to a tee.”
What’s next for ‘The Andytown Apache’? He’s exhausted and wants to get home but it looks like he will return to Saudi Arabia later this year, perhaps for a unification clash with WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster.
“We’ll see how things go,” said Cacace.
Cacace was pictures on Saturday night celebrating his win alongside former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo.
