Northern Ireland`s Anthony Cacace is reportedly considering a move to the lightweight division at 135 pounds. The veteran fighter has identified American boxing sensations Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Shakur Stevenson as potential high-profile opponents should he make the step up.
The 36-year-old recently continued his impressive run in the super-featherweight division (130 lbs) with a dominant ninth-round stoppage victory over former two-time world champion Leigh Wood last Saturday. This significant win followed his decision to vacate his IBF title, opting for the more financially rewarding fight against Wood instead of facing mandatory challenger ‘Sugar’ Nunez.
This strategic choice proved fruitful, significantly boosting both Cacace`s earnings and public profile. Holding a record of 24 wins and 1 loss with 9 knockouts, Cacace is now focused on maximizing his career earnings and solidifying his legacy. His recent success includes back-to-back victories over Josh Warrington and Joe Cordina, performances that firmly established him as a top-tier world-level boxer.
Following the victory over Wood, Cacace`s promoter, Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, indicated that the fighter`s next bout is expected to take place in Belfast. Cacace himself later mentioned current WBC super-featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster as a potential opponent, hinting that preliminary discussions for this appealing matchup may have already occurred.
However, despite the potential for a highly anticipated homecoming fight, it appears Cacace might be willing to forgo a Belfast appearance if a truly life-changing opportunity arises in the lightweight division. Unsurprisingly, pound-for-pound talents like Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) and Gervonta Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), who hold the WBC and WBA world titles at lightweight respectively, are at the very top of his target list.
Given Stevenson`s upcoming fight against William Zepeda on July 12th and Davis expected to rematch Lamont Roach later in the year, a bout against Foster might be the more immediate possibility for Cacace. Nevertheless, a transition to the 135-pound weight class remains firmly within the realm of possibility for `Anto`.
Speaking on DAZN’s Ariel and Ade show, Cacace commented on his weight, stating, “I’m still making super-featherweight handy enough – I’ve been doing it for years. It’s down to [my] professionalism, and discipline, and the hard work I’ve put in that I can [make 130lbs] still.”
He continued, expressing his motivation for pursuing bigger fights: “But if I can get one of these big fights at lightweight – you know, Shakur Stevenson [or] ‘Tank’ Davis – they’re the fights I got into boxing for. So to be in [a fight] like that – in America, Las Vegas or [somewhere] like that – would just be unbelievable.”
