Latest news with #LeighWood
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Cacace-Wood press conference ends on respectful note as big-time boxing returns to Nottingham
The final press conference before Saturday's card at Nottingham Arena passed with little incident between the headliners today. The card, which is to be headlined by the fight between Leigh Wood and Anthony Cacace for the IBO super-featherweight title, will be shown on DAZN and marks one of the year's biggest domestic showdowns. Promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions said that he and his company were delighted to be putting on an event in Nottingham. Warren said: 'On Saturday night, we're going to see a contender for 'Fight of the Year' between two extremely good boxers. The IBO title is going to be on the line and the winner will go on to be involved in a massive fight this year.' The veteran promoter showered both fighters with praise during the build-up, saying that they were two 'competitive' guys. He added: 'Anto has found his way and shown what he can do when he focuses and knuckles down. He's done that against Cordina and he's done that against Warrington. Leigh is a two-time world champion, and his record speaks for itself.' The pair, Warren said, have wins over the same opponent in Josh Warrington, with Wood stopping the Leeds man and Cacace later beating him on points. 'What's important,' Warren said, 'is that the atmosphere is going to be electric. It's going to be a special, special night in Nottingham. Big-time boxing is back in the city and that is what we're here for. We're here to see the fight of the year.' There was mutual respect between both Cacace and Wood, with Cacace saying that he thought the latter would have come to Belfast if needed. However, he said that the bigger house would have been at the Midlands venue. On the undercard, however, there were some light sparks between light-heavyweights Ezra Taylor and Troy Jones. The undefeated fighters will meet over ten rounds in one of the evening's support bouts. Taylor, 12-0 (8) and from Nottingham, said that his unbeaten run had been because of his work ethic. He said: 'I've had things all my way because that is how it goes – it goes my way. I work hard. I put in the work. Anyone who knows me knows that I graft and put my heart and soul into it. I like Troy – he's a cool guy outside of the ring. But since I know him, I'm going to show people how a professional deals with someone in front of him.' Taylor added: 'Everyone has that confidence, but I'm going to diminish it pretty quick. It's going to be a long night or a very short one. He could be any opponent. They're not going to be able to handle me. It's not arrogance, but confidence.' Jones, 12-0 (6), meanwhile, said he thought he was better in all aspects. He said: 'Taylor's getting moved out of the way on Saturday. He's got his new trainer in Malik Scott, and he thinks he has all these new skills, but he's not using them against me. When it gets deep, he'll find out what the trench is like and he won't like it in there.' Sign up to a DAZN subscription to watch the very best boxing DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. It is not just about fight night, a DAZN membership also includes access to documentaries and features, weekly magazine shows, live fight watchalongs, press conferences, weight-ins, open workouts, exclusive interviews and access to training camps, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who is Leigh Wood: Fight record, stats, next bout and more
Leigh Wood will return to the ring after over eighteen months to challenge Anthony Cacace for the IBO super featherweight title at the Nottingham Arena this weekend. Despite this being Wood's first fight at the super-featherweight limit, a win over Cacace would position him for a shot at one of the 'big four' boxing titles. But it has been far from straight forward for the Nottingham fighter, who has had to pull himself through hard times and setbacks to climb his way to the top table of boxing. Stats Total fights: 31 Record: 28-3 (17 KOs) Rounds: 170 Height: 5' 7' Reach: 67' Early Career Wood made his debut in 2011 and worked his way to a shot at the British super-bantamweight title three years later, suffering a sixth-round knockout loss to Gavin McDonnell. This early setback forced him to re-build, eventually claiming the Midlands Area featherweight title by knocking out Lee Glover in two rounds in 2016. Despite this, Wood was still fighting four- and six-round fights in Midlands small halls before he got his shot at the Commonwealth featherweight title in 2018. After claiming the Commonwealth title and defending it, Wood made the next step up and claimed the WBO European title, beating Ryan Doyle in 2019. Stumbling once again, 'Leigh-thal' lost his European title in 2020 to James Dickens by majority decision. It looked as though it was one step forward and two steps back for Wood – having to bounce back and win the British featherweight title against Reece Mould the next year. World titles In 2021, Wood would receive a career-defining opportunity to challenge for a world title. At the Matchroom HQ Garden in Brentwood, Can Xu's WBA featherweight title was on the line. Wood was a massive underdog coming into the fight, but claimed a dramatic twelfth-round stoppage and his first world title after ten years. But defending a world title is another thing, and Wood's first defence was against Olympic Bronze medallist Michael Conlan in a bout in Nottingham in 2023. Symptomatic of his career, the fight was slipping away from Wood who was dropped in the first round and outboxed for the rest, but he stayed in the fight until the end – rallying in the final round to knock out Conlan in The Ring's 2022 fight of the year. This was not the end of the drama for the Midlands man who suffered a knockout loss of his own against Mauricio Lara in 2023. Five months later, he won an immediate rematch to reclaim his WBA title with a unanimous decision. Woods final fight at featherweight was against his Leeds rival, Josh Warrington, and it was another comeback victory. Down on all three scorecards, he picked a perfect hook followed up by a blistering five-shot combination to put Warrington down and force a referee stoppage.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Who is Anthony Cacace? Fight record, stats, next bout and more
Anthony Cacace returns to action this weekend as one half of the headlining act at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Saturday, May 10. Standing 6ft tall with a reach of 71inches, the Belfast-born fighter may be the A side for the encounter, but he will experience a hostile crowd in full support of hometown hero Leigh Wood. With a 23-1 record (8 KOs) after 13 years of his professional career, Cacace has breached the top levels of British and Irish boxing in the last 18 months. Anthony Cacace's early days as a pro and first setback A talented amateur in his native Northern Ireland, Cacace took the momentum from his 36-8 record in the amateur ranks into his first year as a pro. 2012 remains the busiest year of his career, taking on six fights and winning them all. His schedule eased immediately after the following year, with 'Anto' only taking on two fights, including a win over Osnel Charles in Philidelphia, USA. Having picked up his first belt in the form of the Boxing Union of Ireland super featherweight title in just his fifth fight, Cacace had to wait for his next shot at a championship. It would arrive three years later in 2015, when he defeated Ronnie Clark in Scotland to become the BBBoC Celtic super featherweight champion. That sent Cacace into contention for the British and Commonwealth titles, with the 'Apache' receiving his chance in 2017. Unfortunately for Cacace, the biggest fight of his career ended in defeat. Martin J Ward defeated him to win the British and Commonwealth straps at Wembley Arena by unanimous decision. Set back by the loss, Cacace returned before the end of 2017, defeating journeyman Reynaldo Mora. However, Anto did not take to the ring for the entirety of 2018, a sign of the inactivity that was to come. In 2019, Cacace would re-enter title contention, this time proving successful in his pursuit of the British super-featherweight title. Via split decision, Cacace was victorious over the previously unbeaten Sam Bowen. Now into his 30s, Cacace would be inactive for almost two years. That was because his first defence of his new belt would be postponed four times, thanks to a mixture of injury and illness for both Cacace and his opponent Leon Woodstock. Eventually the fight was made, with Cacace the victor by a unanimous decision at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. Anthony Cacace becomes IBO and IBF world champion Just over a year after his first and only defence of his British super featherweight title, Cacace was fighting for a world championship – albeit a minor one. He faced the previously unbeaten Michael Magnesi in Manchester in 2022, winning a tight split decision. That meant he took the IBO super featherweight belt off the hands of the Italian, before putting the title on the line against Damian Wrzesinski in a Belfast homecoming. A far more convincing unanimous decision victory over the Pole cemented Cacace's position as one of the top British and Irish fighters in the division, paving the way for a bout with the division's biggest names. The chance for Cacace to test himself against the best of the super featherweights came in 2024 when he fought unbeaten Welshman Joe Cordina on the undercard of the first Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury fight in Saudi Arabia. Already stunning Cordina with a third-round knockdown, Cacace completed the shock with an eighth-round stoppage – earning himself the first major world title of his career in the form of the IBF super featherweight belt. The story behind Anthony Cacace vacating his IBF title Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing When Cacace takes on Wood this Saturday, May 10, he will only have his IBO world title on the line. That is because the Apache decided to vacate his IBF world championship in order to secure more lucrative fights. The IBF had allowed Anto to remain IBF champion when he fought former featherweight world titleholder Josh Warrington towards the end of 2024. Even though the IBF title would not be on the line, a defeat against Warrington would have seen Cacace lose his belt. Cacace would be victorious over Warrington, but still ended up leaving his belt behind. Anto's reasoning was clear – towards the tail end of his career at 36, the money earned from certain opponents outweighed the potential earnings from title defences. As such, Cacace has elected to fight Wood, rather than face his mandatory challenger Eduardo Nunez. Anthony Cacace record Nationality: Northern Irish Age: 36 Height: 6' 0" Reach: 71" Total fights: 24 Record: 23-1 (8 KOs) Sign up to a DAZN subscription to watch the very best boxing DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. It is not just about fight night, a DAZN membership also includes access to documentaries and features, weekly magazine shows, live fight watchalongs, press conferences, weight-ins, open workouts, exclusive interviews and access to training camps, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Where does Cacace vs Wood fit into the super featherweight Landscape?
Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood return to the ring on Saturday at the Nottingham Arena for a super featherweight showdown, live on DAZN. This will be Wood's first fight at super featherweight after struggling for some time to make the 126lbs limit. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Cacace recently vacated his IBF belt. He believes fighting Wood instead of the mandatory for his former title, Eduardo 'Sugar' Nunez will be beneficial for his future in the sport. 'The Apache' told BBC Sport: 'I feel like it's a better decision to vacate for my future to create a legacy in this sport, and for my name to be remembered for big fights.' Whatever outcome arises from this weekend's bout in Nottingham will grossly impact the careers of both former champions. The IBO title Cacace acquired the IBO belt in 2022, and it will be on the line against Wood, but due to the relationship between the IBO and the 'big four' organisations, it will have little to no bearing on the ability of the winner to unify with other belts. The IBO are excluded from the agreement between WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC that a champion from the 'big four' can bypass the rankings in order to unify the titles. Rankings Cacace is ranked as the number three super featherweight by The Ring behind O'Shaquie Foster and Emmanuel Navarette. He also holds the minor IBO title, so a victory against a former featherweight title holder in Wood will position Cacace as a world-level contender and potentially open up an opportunity for him to eventually challenge again forhis former IBF title. Cacace told Boxing Scene: 'It's the big fights now, but, you know, the winner of me and Wood – which will be myself – will box for a world title. I don't know [who it will be against yet], but you'll find out pretty soon.' Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime. See Schedule ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. It is a different story for Wood. After over eighteen months out of the ring, he may not have any rankings in his new division, but he carries the status of his former WBA featherweight title. A win against the former IBF champion may pave the way for a shot at a world title or a favourable ranking. The 130 lbs division is headed by three champions: O'Shaquie Foster (WBC), Emmanuel Navarrete (WBO) and Lamont Roach (WBA). Foster (29-3) recaptured his world title at the end of the 2024, beating Robson Conceicao by split decision in a rematch. Navarette (39-2-1) beat Oscar Valdez to claim the WBO title in December last year, knocking out the Mexican in the sixth round. He is set to defend his title against Charly Suarez on the same night Wood and Cacace will fight. In his last fight, Roach (25-1-2), moved up to the lightweight division to challenge for Gervonta 'Tank' Davis' WBA title, but the fight ended a draw. A rematch is rumoured. In the super featherweight division, Roach beat Hector Luis Garcia to become WBA champion in 2023. Against this backdrop, a win for Cacace would solidify his standing as one of the top contenders and potentially open up another world title opportunity in the twilight of his career. For Wood, a successful move to super featherweight could fast-track him into rankings with a win over the vacated IBF champion and as the former WBA featherweight champion. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'I seem to be getting better with age'
Belfast boxer Anthony Cacace says he is "getting better with age" after his latest victory against former two-time world champion Leigh 36-year-old stopped Wood in the ninth round in Nottingham on Saturday to retain his IBO super-featherweight 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."I feel 25, I feel like I've been punching harder than I've ever punched and now I know what I'm capable of, I believe in myself and I'm going to keep getting better." Cacace sets sights on Las Vegas fight 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 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."I'm happy to go to wherever, I'm going to take a few months off so we will wait on some good news."
