Anthony Cacace vs. Leigh Wood | DAZN - 10 May 2025

[goose 5]

Yes they do, very good.

[Evander]

Cacace is a bit wild.
Really good match up.

[Autobarn]

I'm definitely going to this fight.

Wood has been in some tremendous battles, domestic and international.

hope he hasn't lost too much momentum.

[Ruthless-RKO]

TROY JONES VS. EZRA TAYLOR SET FOR CHIEF-SUPPORT BILLING ON CACACE-WOOD CARD, MAY 10

Sometimes, a fighter needs to speculate to accumulate. Birmingham’s Troy Jones is unbeaten, has held the English light-heavyweight title and according to his trainer Lee Beard, gets better every day. He can also shift a vast number of tickets.

The 26-year-old is also a good talker but has always been about action rather than words. Instead of telling people what he can do and what he is worth, Jones has decided that it is high time he showed them.

Jones (12-0, 6 KOs) has agreed to fight Ezra ‘The Cannon’ Taylor (10-0, 7 KOs) at the Nottingham Arena on May 10th. The fight will act as the chief support to the super-featherweight fight between Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood, with a WBA Gold title on the line. The show will be broadcast globally by DAZN.

Taylor’s profile has risen over the past twelve months and his ongoing feud with British and Commonwealth champion Lewis Edmondson (11-0, 3 KOs) has provided boxing’s content hunters with some easy hits in recent months. Most outsiders will view the fight between him and Jones as a hometown showcase for the Nottingham man and a chance for him to rubber stamp his shot at Edmondson.

Jones couldn’t see things more differently.

"It was just what was proposed to us. Lee knows - and I’ve told you before - I’ll fight anyone so it's up to Lee who I fight," Jones told The Ring.

"He thinks the fight makes sense and I think any fight makes sense. Lee knows that, so if he says it's the right fight, it’s the right fight and there's a nice title on the line.

"I guess he’s the up-and-coming kid at the minute that people have got their eyes on and I'm planning to take that away from him."

Jones has always said that he is ready and willing to fight anybody in the light-heavyweight division and has proven it by agreeing to jump right in with Taylor.

Lots of fighters in his position would sit back on their ticket sales and allow a promoter to guide them towards the top. That isn’t Jones’ style.

He is a fan of the way that head of Riyadh Season and chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, is cutting through the promotional red tape and changing the face of the sport but Jones believes that the fighters themselves shoulder a lot of responsibility for big fights not happening.

Jones doesn’t need to take the fight with Taylor but didn’t hesitate when it was offered to him. He thinks that fighters should want to fight.

"I’m in this game for it all. I’m not here to fanny about at all. I'm not here to pad my record out,” he said.

“I'm not in it to creep away, bypass people and I think that too many people are doing that. Look at the light heavyweights in Britain, there’s that many fights that could be happening.

“I know Turki is around now and the fights are happening because of him and what he's putting forward but if he weren't doing that, people wouldn't be fighting as they are now.

“You can't put a price on that for me. I'm in it to give the fans what they want. I'm not here for a padded record. I'm in it to fight whoever, to beat whoever and you're going to see that the more my career goes on.

“So, I'll do a number on Ezra - I ain't looking past him - and then we move on and I won't shy away from anyone for the whole of my career at all.”

Jones won’t be entering unknown territory on May 10th. He and Taylor are on good terms and have shared the ring before.

Taylor had a short but successful amateur career and is touted as a big puncher. Many will make the assumption that Jones will need to be gritty, determined and drag the 30-year-old into the trenches if he is to get the win but Beard doesn’t train one dimensional fighters and has spent long hours adding layers to Jones’ game.

Both men may have already had a decent look at each other but Taylor’s task might have become a little more complicated over the past few months.

“What works against him? We'll see, you’ll see and he'll know,” Jones said.

“He knows what he thinks he's going to do but knows what I'm going to bring as well. If he talks anything and tries to bad mouth me, deep down he knows and that's it. That's all I'm going to say. He will know what I'm going to bring.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Not long to go

[jameswilson]

I wonder if Frank will be inviting Carl Frock to sit ring side?

[Ruthless-RKO]

cracking fight.. Needs more hype

[mickey1975]

cracking fight.. Needs more hype

It's going to be a genuine sell out already.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[SeanBrennan]

cracking fight.. Needs more hype

It's going to be a genuine sell out already.

Really looking forward to this. Hope Wood wins

[THEBUTCH]

I don't like Wood's inactivity, but if that's overlooked....this a tremendous match up that could be explosive.

Cacace proved me completely wrong when he took Cordina apart

Underestime Leigh Wood at your peril !

[KiwiRider]

Fight Week!!

Whoo hoo!
After last weekend we need this!!

[TheLeprechaun]

I think Leigh outboxes him.

[Ruthless-RKO]

“Anto is getting in there with proper momentum, proper activity and the belief of a champion. I believe Anto wins convincingly, possibly by stoppage because Anto also punches hard. They both punch hard, yes, but I think Anto’s skillset is better. I think he’s the better boxer out of the both of them. Leigh’s been through the mill a lot of times now and there’s only so many times you can do that. I’m leaning heavily towards Anto in this fight,” Michael Conlan said

“It’ll be an interesting fight. I’m picking Cacace at this moment in time, Leigh has been out of the ring for a long time, obviously he’s moving up in weight, but Cacace has got some good form going for him at the minute. Leigh is tough and unless Cacace can go up a gear, I think Cacace will beat him on points,” Josh Warrington stated

[MightyWarrior]

The return of El Pot Noodle

I’m not saying he served a ban, I’ve got no idea at all, but seen it mentioned, so can someone explain how fighters are allowed a silent ban when they’re busted?

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANTHONY CACACE: 'IT WAS A LONG ROAD, BUT I'M HERE'

Anthony Cacace spent years scratching around for an opportunity, but the 36-year-old Irishman has recently been spoilt for choice.

Faced with a decision between a mandatory defence of his IBF title against heavy-handed Mexican Eduardo "Sugar’ Nunez" or an attractive fight with British rival Leigh Wood, Cacace relinquished his IBF belt. He will meet Wood in the headline attraction from Nottingham Arena Saturday night, televised on DAZN worldwide.

Nunez clearly represents a hard night’s work, but Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) can hardly be accused of seeking out an easy option by electing to fight Wood (28-3, 17 KOs).

The two-time WBA featherweight champion established himself as arguably the hardest hitting and most resilient fighter at 126lbs. Although he is 36 years old, too, Wood will undoubtedly be an even better version of himself now that he can focus entirely on the opponent in front of him rather than the scales.

Since stopping Joe Cordina to become the IBF champion last May, Cacace has made it clear that he wants the most high-profile, lucrative fights available.

Wood certainly ticks both boxes.

“I’m not ducking anyone, you know what I mean? These are people who are listening to the likes of Eddie Hearn [Nunez’s promoter] and these type of men and promoters,” Cacace told Queensberry when asked about accusations of him ducking Nunez.

“The facts are that the money was 100% better. I’m 36 years of age. I’ve got three children. If I was 28 and the money was the same for that Mexican, I’d have fought him in his back garden.

“Call me a duck, call me whatever you want. I don’t give a [expletive].”

Cacace’s life has changed dramatically during the past 12 months.

Over the years, a long list of top quality fighters have praised Cacace’s power and boxing ability, but justifying their faith at the highest level continued to evade him.

Frustration undoubtedly affected Cacace outside of the ring and questions began to be asked about his level of dedication but, importantly, he never allowed the annoyance to affect him inside the ropes. Although his appearances became almost annual occurrences, Cacace kept himself in the hunt and is undefeated in almost eight years.

His perseverance paid off, and by beating Cordina and two-time IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington, Cacace has firmly established himself as one of the top 130lb fighters on the planet.

“From Cordina to Josh Warrington to Leigh Wood. If you’d seen me a year-and-a-half ago, two, three years ago, I’m watching these boys on these big platforms, doing the job and I just couldn’t see myself there,” he said.

“The fact that I fought Warrington last and now I’m walking into another huge fight against Wood blows my mind. Amazing. Amazing. I’m just thrilled I’ve got to where I’ve got to. It was a long road, but I’m here.”

[maverick23]

The return of El Pot Noodle

I’m not saying he served a ban, I’ve got no idea at all, but seen it mentioned, so can someone explain how fighters are allowed a silent ban when they’re busted?

They’re not. There’s no proof of silent bans. Just people making big assumptions.

Wood has had injuries, wanted to fight at Forest which turned out not possible and chose not to fight the same night as AJ due to sharing a trainer with him.

Sometimes fighters have time out of the ring.

[MightyWarrior]

I see, thanks for explanation

[Ruthless-RKO]

LEIGH WOOD: IF SOMEONE THINKS THEY'RE HARDER THAN ME, I CAN PROVE THEM WRONG

Leigh Wood’s risk taking style and one punch power have made the two-time featherweight champion must-see television.

However, much like an actor who flits between shooting big budget Hollywood action pictures and classic off-Broadway stage productions, some of Wood’s most effective work has come when he tones things down and goes back to basics.

Obviously however, explosions and special effects do much better at the box office and Wood’s boxing ability tends to get overlooked.

The 36-year-old's memorable wins over Michael Conlan and Josh Warrington were thrilling spectacles which saw him dig himself out of deep holes and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Against Jazza Dickens and Mauricio Lara, Wood got himself embroiled in hard, high contact fights but couldn't turn the tide once it started drifting way from him.

Conversely, during his wins over Ryan Doyle, Can Xu, and his revenge victory over Lara, Wood kept those opponents at arm's length. He tamed all three with his timing and ring smarts, punishing them with his thumping right hand.

This weekend, Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) ends a 18-month layoff to fight former IBF junior-lightweight champion Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) in front of his home fans in Nottingham. Although he and his training team at the Ben Davison Performance Centre are piecing together a thorough, detailed gameplan, the veteran is prepared to go to the well once again should the situation require it.

"Whichever way you want it," he told The Ring.

"I prefer that way but I'd like to consider myself as someone that gets the job done regardless of the circumstances.

"If everything's going my way, I'll get the job done. If things aren't going my way, guess what? I’ll get the job done. I think a great fighter will always adapt to what's in front of them. Regardless of which path it goes down they manage to pull it out of the bag regardless.

"But ideally, yes. Stick to the game plan, stick to what's working, what we're practising, pull out a clinical performance."

After spending years battling to make the featherweight limit, Wood will now be fighting at 130lbs and no doubt have designs on adding a world title in a second weight class to his trophy cabinet.

His unofficial title of ‘Britain’s Most Exciting Fighter’ won’t be on the line against Cacace but it is still one that Wood wants to defend. Although there are easier way to go about his business, he admits revelling in his reputation as an action hero.

"Maybe, yeah," he laughed.

“Like I said, whichever way it comes. If someone wants to think they can out-war me, out-strength me, be harder than me, I can prove them wrong. I feel I can prove them wrong in any department but it's best to stick to your strengths for sure.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Leigh Wood and Anthony Cacace leave allegedly to do the promoting

Anthony Cacace takes on former featherweight titlist Leigh Wood in a junior lightweight scrap on Saturday in the Nottingham Arena that allegedly is “certain” will be fight of the year. That's not exactly a surprising proclamation from the promoter of a contest between two 36-year-olds unwilling to engage in a pre-fight war of words.

Belfast's Cacace, 23-1 (8 KOs), has enjoyed a dramatic upturn in fortune, specifically since he upset Joe Cordina to claim the IBF 130lbs title in May last year. That title was relinquished when he was ordered to defend against Ricardo Nunez, rightly believing that a bout with Nottingham's Wood, in September 2024, would have been significantly more marketable. Wood was forced to withdraw, however, leaving Cacace to outpoint Josh Warrington on the Wembley Stadium Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua undercard.

“This is my second two-time world champion [I’m fighting] in a row,” Cacace said at Thursday’s final media conference. “If you’d have looked at my life two years ago, you’d never have believed this was happening.

“Leigh Wood sells a lot of tickets in Nottingham, it makes sense [to stage it here], and it’s something new for me… I genuinely don't give a flying fornicate about the crowd. If they bring him on, great, but I don’t need any of that. It’s going to be a great scrap.

“He’s 100 per cent a puncher,” Cacace continued before making the lone threat of the day. “Can he box? Or is all he’s got the punch? I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m going to be the hardest he’s been hit by anyone.”

Wood, 28-3 (17 KOs), has struggled with injuries and hasn’t boxed since 2023 when he knocked out Warrington in seven rounds down at featherweight. The momentum would therefore appear to be with his opponent.

“The layoff won’t affect me one bit,” Wood countered. “I’ve been out of the ring, not out of the gym. If I’ve got an injured arm, I’ll use the other one. I’ve turned up to the gym limping; I’ve been dedicated to my craft for 20 years and I will be until the day I retire.”

Wood’s battle with the scales were oft-document in the past but the move up in weight for this bout hasn’t eased the work he’s had to put in to ensure he makes 130lbs.

“People are talking like I’ve moved up to middleweight,” Wood chuckled. “It was so hard to make featherweight. So, yes, I’ve moved up but I’ve only got an extra four pounds. I still have to come down a long way.”

[Gran Hermano]

Can’t wait for this one. Should be a great fight. I’ve got Cacace winning a barnstormer

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Cacace happy for Wood to have hometown advantage

IBO super-featherweight title holder Anthony Cacace does not believe the crowd will be a factor in his bout with Leigh Wood at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on Saturday.

The Belfast native will be getting into the ring for the first time since earning a unanimous decision against Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium in September.

The 36-year-old vacated his IBF super-featherweight title before taking the fight against Wood and, although he said he could have pushed for it to be staged in Belfast, was happy to take on the former two-time world champion in his own home city.

"I'm sure Leigh would have travelled to Belfast but I decided to come to Nottingham, Leigh sells a lot of tickets and it's something new for me," Cacace said.

"I don't need anybody to bring me on, I have it in my heart and the desire in myself.

"I'm going to win the fight in Nottingham in front of his home crowd and I'm going to go home."

The pre-fight press conference was marked by repeated talk of the respect between the two fighters with Wood saying he would "feel bad" beating his opponent.

Cacace said he had previously taken inspiration from watching Wood's fights and was looking forward to sharing the ring with another two-time world champion after previous wins over Warrington and Joe Cordina.

"If you were to look at my life two years ago I was nowhere and now I'm fighting these calibre of fighters," he said.

"When I wasn't really doing much or getting many opportunities, I was watching him fight, and he's the 'Cinderella Man' of Nottingham, so I would love to come here and do the business."

Wood is returning to the ring after a 19-month lay-off caused by some niggling injuries, a change of promoter, and struggles to find a date at his preferred venue, Nottingham Forest's City Ground.

The 36-year-old is moving up from featherweight but, while Cacace predicted a "great scrap", he backed his own punching power to be the difference on the night.

"I've fought big punchers, I've been hit by hard men," he added.

"But can he box? What can he do? Is all he got a punch? I don't know, we're going to have to find out on Saturday night.

"I'm 100% going to be the hardest to hit Leigh."