Anthony Cacace expected to vacate his IBF super featherweight title to fight Leigh Wood. The IBF belt will become vacant for #1 Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs) and #3 Masanori Rikiish (16-1, 11 KOs) to fight for it.
It makes sense for the 35-year-old Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) to vacate the IBF title to fight former two-time WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) because it’s a fight that will pay off. good for Anthony.
Nunez’s Time to Shine?
Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez has looked impressive, knocking out his last 17 opponents since his lone career loss to Hiram Gallardo by a six-round unanimous decision in June 20018. In Nunez’s last four fights, he has defeated Miguel Marriaga, Oscar Escandon, Jesus Martin Ceyca, and Willmank Canonico Brito.
It’s hard to know how good the eight-year pro Rikiish, 30, is because he’s fought mostly unknown opposition his entire career in his native Japan. He lost once as a pro, but he fought under the radar against opposition most fans have never heard of. Not a good sign.
Slim Chance of Success
The chances of success of the 13-year professional Cacace against “Sugar” Nunez were minimal due to the power, youth and aggressiveness of the Mexican fighter. It wouldn’t have been a big payday for Cacace against Nunez, and the result would probably have been bad for him.
Last year, Cacace defeated IBF 130-lb champion Joe Cordina, destroying him in eight rounds on May 18 in Riyadh. The fight wasn’t even remotely close, as Cacace was too fast and too busy for Cordina to weigh in that contest. Cacace dropped Cordina in the third round, and it seemed he never recovered.
In Cacace’s last fight, he defeated former featherweight champion Josh Warrington by a 12-round unanimous decision on September 21 on the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois undercard at Wembley Stadium in London.
I watched the fight, and it looked like Cacace took it easy in Warrington, staying in second gear the entire contest and not giving him the same rough treatment as he had Cordina in their previous fight. If that’s what the game was about, it was a kind gesture on Cacace’s part because Warrington looked completely fired up. He would have folded like a cheap costume if Cacace had unleashed him like he had Cordina all night.
“With Anthony Cacace expected to relinquish his IBF belt to fight former champion Leigh Wood, the super-featherweight belt is set to be determined by a bout between top-ranked Eduardo Nunez and No. 3 Masanori Rikiishi of Japan, they tell me,” said Lance Pugmire X.
