‘I seem to be getting better with age’ – Cacace

Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace says he is “getting better with age” after his latest victory against former two-time world champion Leigh Wood.

The 36-year-old stopped Wood in the ninth round in Nottingham on Saturday to retain his IBO super-featherweight title.

Following wins over the previously undefeated Joe Cordina and Josh Warrington, Cacace has now beaten three two-time champions in succession in the last year and feels there is still more to come.

“I’m surprised at myself, I seem to be getting better with age and I’m delighted to be doing everyone proud back home, there has been a lot of support, and it feels amazing performing like this at 36,” he told BBC Sport NI.

Cacace’s victory over Wood extended his record to 24 wins and one loss from 25 fights and he admits he is “over the moon” with recent performances.

“I’ve been very lucky, and I appreciate it all the last year and a half,” he added.

“I worked extremely hard for 12-14 weeks for the Wood fight, I put my body and mind through hell. It was a very tough camp, but I keep getting the wins and it makes it worth going through these camps.”

In the aftermath of the fight at the Motorpoint Arena, Cacace spoke of his desire for his next bout to be in Belfast amid talk of a possible WBC super-featherweight world title shot against O’Shaquie Foster.

“There has only been one person to win the WBC from Northern Ireland – Wayne McCullough, so it would be another great achievement if I was to go win something like that, even talking about these things blows my mind,” Cacace said, when speaking on Wednesday.

His last three wins have come on the road, and he admitted his dream fight would also be far from home, in Las Vegas against one of America’s top fighters.

“America would be nice, Las Vegas somewhere big like that with a massive name. I believe I deserve it because I have wiped out the whole of the UK scene, all of these top champions have lost against me,” he explained.

“Give me more of these world champions, the likes of Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson who people really don’t fancy you against, I would be real underdog, and I feel when I get put into those positions, I perform my best.