Both Jazza Dickens and Anthony “The Apache” Cacace belong to a different time in the boxing business, a time when boxers without infamy and entourages won and lost title fights as part of their day job.
On Saturday night in Dublin, in front of boxing’s loudest crowd, Cacace beat Dickens on points over 12 torrid rounds to win the WBA super-featherweight title. The win kept his journey inside the boxing world alive. The Belfast boxer became a two-time world champion and remains one of the sport’s gentle heroes, a man with no concerns for the limelight.
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It was the sixth defeat in 42 fights for Dickens, and he had entered the ring as the champion on a night when it was obvious that the two veterans would fight for every second of every round and across every inch of the blood-stained canvas. It was not a classic; it was never going to be a classic, but it was always going to be hard.
Dickens, who is from Liverpool, thought that he had done enough at the end, but the three judges made the right call, and Cacace won with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 116-113. The judges only agreed unanimously on five of the 12 rounds. On the night, Cacace was just too smart at times, too big, and did enough in tight rounds.
Cacace, who is now 37, has been on an exceptional run of wins, the type of sequence that can be compared with the best by any British or Irish fighter in modern or ancient days. Cacace won the IBF super-featherweight title when he stopped Cardiff’s Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia in 2024, then he beat Josh Warrington, stopped Leigh Wood and defeated Dickens. A stunning quartet of consecutive wins in less than two years.
Cacace won in the eyes of every judge but each score was close (Getty Images)
“I want big fights now. Unifications with the other champions,” said Cacace at the end, when an attractive fight with Southampton’s unbeaten Ryan Garner, an easy winner on Saturday’s undercard, was suggested. “I want bigger names; I deserve bigger names.” He is probably right, but the Garner fight could deliver a career-high payday, and that is generally enough to turn a fighter’s head.
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The two options right now for Cacace to pursue a unification, or even an undisputed title, would both be difficult fights. His old IBF belt and the WBO version are held by a formidable Mexican, Emanuel Navarette, and the WBC belt is currently owned by O’Shaquie Foster, who sounds like he would be right at home on a fight night in Belfast or Dublin. Foster is from Texas and he is beatable.
Navarette has stopped or knocked out 33 of the 40 men he has beaten, his recent form has been stunning, but he is the man that Cacace wants. It would be a super-fight if it could be secured for Britain or Ireland this summer.
Belfast’s Cacace is now a two-time world champion (Getty Images)
Equally, a fight with Garner at Croke Park in Dublin as part of an Irish boxing extravaganza would also be sensational. There is still bold talk of Katie Taylor finishing her career with a send-off fight at Croke Park, and a bout involving Dublin idol Pierce O’Leary has also been linked to the historic venue.
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It would be some night if Croke Park erected a boxing ring in the middle of that sacred turf. Cacace might just be the fighter dancing down the steps to the bright lights, in search of one more scalp.