Anthony Cacace has vacated the IBF junior lightweight title, opting to free himself of sanctioning body mandates as he pursues bigger fights.
Cacace, a 35-year-old from Belfast, Northern Ireland, issued a statement on social media Friday afternoon explaining why he was leaving behind the belt he won last May when he stopped Joe Cordina in eight rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Becoming a World Champion was an absolute dream and an incredibly proud moment for me,” Cacace, 23-1 (8 KOs), posted on his Instagram account. “However at this stage of my career I only want the biggest fights possible, regardless of the belt on the line. I’m a prize fighter and my aim now is to secure mine and family’s future and to create a legacy for myself in boxing by being involved in massive fights that fans will remember. Look forward to announcing my next fight very soon. Watch this space.”
The decision isn’t particularly surprising considering that Cacace’s only fight since winning the belt, a unanimous decision over former titleholder Josh Warrington last September, was a non-title fight due to Warrington being unranked at 130lbs. The New Jersey-based IBF had ruled before that fight that Cacace would have 180 days – set to expire on March 20 – to face mandatory challenger Eduardo Nunez, 27-1 (27 KOs).
Now it’s likely that Nunez will be fighting for a vacant title. Nunez, a 27-year-old from Los Mochis, Mexico, who is coming off a sixth-round stoppage win over perennial contender Miguel Marriaga in August, is rated No. 1 by the IBF while the No. 2 spot is vacant. The rankings from Nos. 3-5 include Masanori Rikiishi, Charly Suarez and Sultan Zaurbek, respectively.
An email to the IBF requesting clarification did not receive a response by the time of this story’s publication.
Cacace has been linked to rumors of a showdown with WBA junior lightweight titleholder Leigh Wood, who hasn’t fought since October 2023, when he defeated Warrington by seventh-round stoppage to win the WBA featherweight title. Wood vacated that belt shortly after in order to move to 130lbs.
Promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions chimed in, replying to Cacace’s post but keeping the plans close to his chest.
“Fight news coming soon; trust me you won’t be disappointed! Only the biggest and best fights for @anto_cacace,” posted Warren.
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
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