Anthony Cacace celebrating his stoppage victory over Leigh Wood in May. Alamy Stock Photo

Anthony Cacace set to get chance to become two-time world champion at 3Arena

The Belfast star is expected to challenge Liverpool’s WBA world champion, Jazza Dickens, on St Patrick’s weekend.

IRISH SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT STAR Anthony Cacace is set to challenge English world champion Jazza Dickens at the 3Arena, Dublin, on St Patrick’s Weekend.

Belfast’s Cacace, 36, was previously a world champion in the same division but vacated his IBF title in January to avoid a mandatory fight and instead pursue more lucrative bouts with British opponents.

Cacace [24-1, 9KOs] subsequently defeated former featherweight world champs Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood in high-profile non-title bouts before signing to fight American star Ray Ford. However, a back injury suffered by Cacace during his training camp forced the cancellation of his contest with the Brian Peters-managed Ford.

‘Anto’ hasn’t fought since sensationally stopping hometown hero Wood in Nottingham in May.

Cacace’s promoter, Frank Warren, teased a big Irish announcement on Christmas Eve, claiming “an absolute cracker of a fight” had “just been agreed”.

It’s understood that the fight in question will see Cacace challenge 34-year-old Liverpudlian Jazza Dickens [36-5, 15KOs], who stunned the previously unbeaten Russian Albert Batyrgaziev during his last outing in July and was recently upgraded to world-champion status by the WBA.

Furthermore, Dublin’s rising light-welterweight star, Pierce ‘Big Bang’ O’Leary [18-0, 10KOs], is expected to face Portsmouth puncher Mark Chamberlain [17-1, 12KOs] in the chief-support bout at his local venue.

O’Leary, who hails from nearby Sherriff Street, boasts a sizeable local following and may even shift the bulk of the tickets at the 3Arena.

Andersonstown’s Cacace is a late bloomer, having overcome years of misfortune with injuries, opponent withdrawals and card cancellations to reach the super-featherweight summit when he last year dethroned Welsh beltholder Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia, becoming a world champion on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s first victory over Tyson Fury.

In defeating Cordina, Warrington and Wood in his last three bouts — Cordina and Wood by stoppage — ‘The Andy-town Apache’ has pulled off a series of victories that rivals that of any male Irish boxer in the last 10 years.

His prospective opponent, the popular Dickens, is no stranger to Dublin having previously trained under Pete Taylor.

Cork light-welterweight Steven Cairns [13-0, 8KOs] could also feature on the 3Arena bill, which is expected to be confirmed by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions in the near future.

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