Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace challenges WBA super-featherweight champion Jazza Dickens at Dublin’s 3Arena on March 14
Anthony Cacace believes there are striking parallels between himself and James ‘Jazza’ Dickens as he pursues a second world title.
The Belfast fighter (24-1) will meet the Liverpool boxer at Dublin’s 3Arena on 14th March, with the WBA world super-featherweight championship on the line—nearly two years since he defeated Joe Cordina to claim the IBF belt in Saudi Arabia.
Since that breakthrough moment, Cacace’s career has transformed dramatically. Victories over English fighters Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood have followed, and at 37, he harbours ambitions of cementing his legacy as one of Ireland’s finest boxers.
Much like ‘The Apache’, Dickens has found his greatest success in the latter stages of his career.
The 34-year-old southpaw (36-5) produced the performance of his life when he upset Russian 2020 Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev in an interim world title clash in Istanbul last July, reports the Irish Mirror.
Following American Lamont Roach’s decision to move up a weight division in December, Dickens was promoted to full WBA champion.
Cacace reflected on their shared journeys: “There’s some similarities. Jazza’s another story of keep plugging away, and look what you can get,”.
“Jazza’s been battling away, he fought for a world title against Guillermo Rigondeaux all those years back, he’s had a couple of opportunities in between, but look, when he became successful, he was 34 years of age.
“It shows you life in this game humbles you, it gets you into positions, and when you’re in that position you realise that you can’t let it slip.”
The headline fight on a packed Queensberry card will mark only the second time Cacace has fought professionally in Dublin.
His first bout in the city took place over 13 years ago at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, which was only his fifth professional fight.
On that occasion, he defeated Mickey Coveney in the first round to secure the Boxing Union of Ireland Irish Super Featherweight title. Next month, he’ll be stepping into the 3Arena for the first time.
“I’ve never been in the 3Arena. I’ve heard about it and stuff,” Cacace revealed.
“I’ve heard the atmosphere is great. The way they have the set up in it is supposedly very, very good. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited.”
Cacace was scheduled to face American Raymond Ford last August in Saudi Arabia, but had to pull out due to a back injury.
However, everything has gone smoothly since then, and he’s anticipating a tough fight with Dickens, who spent several years living and training in Ireland with Pete Taylor.
“I feel like I’m fighting another Irish dude to be honest with you,” Cacace added. “I see him, he’s putting up tweets now ‘up the flats’. He’s like an Irishman.
“He’s a southpaw, he’s small, he has a bit of the dog in him, he’s aggressive enough, so it could really be a cracker, or not too good and a clear win for me.”
In recent years, Cacace has transitioned from delivering takeaways to fighting on some of the world’s biggest stages, including Wembley Stadium, Belfast’s SSE Arena and Riyadh.
“It’s just things that are hard to comprehend,” he said, reflecting on how his life has transformed.
“I am sitting here in this position, before I didn’t know where I was getting the next penny from, I didn’t know what I was going to do, the future, there was no future.
“It’s just been a magical, magical time.”
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