Cacace-Nunez Purse Bid Postponed (and Fight Delay Appears Likely, Too)

The Anthony Cacace-Eduardo Nunez IBF junior-lightweight purse bid has been moved back to July 2, although it increasingly appears Cacace will move to avoid a fighter considered the division’s boogeyman.

An individual familiar with the tone of the discussions said the Nunez team is braced for newly crowned champion Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) to veer toward requesting an exception to instead make his first title defense on the coming Sept. 21 card at Wembley Stadium.

Northern Ireland’s Cacace, 35, was treated to a hero’s homecoming in Belfast upon defeating Joe Cordina for the IBF’s 130-pound belt May 18 on the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury undercard.

The Ring reported the possible Wembley opponent under the planned Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois heavyweight main event would be England’s Zelfa Barrett (31-2, 17 KOs) and that the purse-bid event could very well be canceled between now and July 2.

How Cacace would remedy Nunez is unclear since the IBF doesn’t permit step-aside fee arrangements.

Mexico’s Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs) would instead bide his time while possessing a 17-fight victory and knockout streak. He has been off since a February victory.