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Anthony Cacace is expected to vacate his IBF super featherweight title to fight Leigh Wood. The IBF belt will become vacant to be contested by #1 Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs) and #3 Masanori Rikiish (16-1, 11 KOs).
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) as it’s a fight that will pay off well for Anthony.
Nunez’s time to shine?
Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez has looked impressive, knocking out his last 17 opponents since suffering his only career loss to Hiram Gallardo via six-round unanimous decision in June 20018. In Nunez’s last four fights, he has knocked out Miguel Marriaga, Oscar Escandon, Jesus Martin Ceyca and Willmank Canonico Brito.
It’s hard to know how good eight-year pro Rikiish (30) is because he’s fought mostly unknown opponents his entire career in his native Japan. He lost once as a pro, but fought under the radar against an opponent most fans had never heard of. That’s not a good sign.
Little chance of success
The 13-year-old professional Cacace’s chances of success against ‘Sugar’ Nunez would be minimal due to the strength, youth and aggressiveness of the Mexican fighter. It wouldn’t be a huge payday for Cacace to fight Nunez, and the outcome would probably be bad for him.
Last year, Cacace defeated IBF 130lb champion Joe Cordino, destroying him in eight rounds on May 18 in Riyadh. The fight was nowhere near close, as Cacace was too fast and too busy for an exhausted Cordina in that contest. Cacace knocked out Cordino in the third round, and it looked like he never recovered from it.
In Cacace’s last fight, he defeated former featherweight champion Josh Warrington via 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 Cacace seemed to ease up on Warrington, staying in second gear the entire contest and not treating him as roughly as he had Cordin in his previous fight. If it was a game, it was a kind gesture on Cacace’s part as Warrington looked completely fired up. He would fit like a cheap suit if Cacace had chased him like he had all night with Cordino.
“With Anthony Cacace expected to vacate his IBF belt to fight former champion Leigh Wood, the super-featherweight belt will be decided by a fight between top-ranked Eduardo Nunez and Japanese no. 3 Masanori Rikiishi, I’m told,” Lance Pugmire said on X.
