Cacace ready to face Warrington in 'fight of my life'

Anthony Cacace says he wants to cement his sanction successful Irish boxing history arsenic he prepares for nan "fight of my life" against Josh Warrington.

Earlier this week, nan IBF confirmed that Cacace's super-featherweight world title will not beryllium connected nan statement successful Saturday's conflict astatine Wembley Stadium.

The sanctioning assemblage does not recognise Warrington arsenic a challenger because of his inactivity successful nan super-featherweight division. But while Warrington cannot triumph nan title astatine Wembley, it will beryllium vacated if he thumps Cacace,

"It's nan hardest conflict of my profession by a mile. Josh is nary mug," said 35-year-old Cacace.

"He's a two-time world champion [at featherweight], aforesaid arsenic Joe [Cordina] but he's much accomplished. He's had harder fights and amended fights and has a amended resume.

"This is nan conflict of my life and I'm conscionable wanting to time off nary chromatic unturned and do nan job."

At Friday's Trafalgar Square weigh-in, nan fighters engaged successful an energetic face-off earlier sharing an clasp and turning to pump up nan crowd, successful keeping pinch nan respect they person shown 1 different each week.

Cacace, who again trim a laid-back, smiling fig successful his last pre-fight engagement, weighed successful astatine conscionable nether 9st 3lb (129.85lbs) while Warrington tipped nan scales astatine a somewhat lighter 9st 2½lbs (129.55lbs).

Cacace, who became a world champion by beating Joe Cordina successful May, has spoken this week astir really he has nary desire to go a "millionaire aliases a superstar".

But having achieved a lifelong dream of strapping a world title astir his waist, he is wished to present a fewer much large performances and return his spot among nan greats of Irish boxing.

"That's what nan scheme is," he said erstwhile asked astir securing his legacy.

"Now's nan clip to cement my sanction into Irish boxing history. I conscionable want to proceed to triumph and put connected performances.

"It's going to beryllium a difficult fight, a gruelling fight. It depends connected what Josh turns up here."

Cacace besides feels arsenic though he will beryllium representing nan full Irish boxing organization erstwhile he steps retired successful beforehand of a 96,000-strong crowd astatine 1 of nan world's astir iconic stadiums.

"Andersonstown, westbound Belfast, nan full of Belfast, wherever you're from - south, eastbound - I cognize they're down me, I'm getting nan messages from everyone," he said.

"I'm representing nan full of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland. Whoever wants to support me, I'm each complete it."

Beating Warrington would group up a bout against mandatory IBF challenger Eduardo 'Sugar' Nunez earlier 20 March 2025.

But knowing that a conclusion astatine this shape of his profession would beryllium difficult to travel backmost from, Cacace is not looking past Warrington, who memorably hit Belfast's Carl Frampton successful a world title conflict successful 2018.

"They opportunity Nunez is next. To me, Josh is next.

"If I don't hit Josh, I'm backmost down that pecking bid again and astatine my property there's nary clip for that."