Former junior lightweight world champ Anthony Cacace regained a portion of the the championships Saturday night with an impressive 12 round decision over James "Jazza" Dickens to become the WBA titleholder.
Former junior lightweight world champ, Anthony Cacace produced a composed and disciplined performance and defeated James “Jazza” Dickens by unanimous decision, capturing the WBA 130 lb. world title in front of a packed crowd at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday night. The victory not only earned Cacace another championship belt but also secured his place in history as the first Irish fighter to become a two-time world titleholder at junior lightweight.
From the opening rounds, Cacace, now 25-1, 9 KOs, appeared to have the physical advantage. The Belfast native looked like the bigger, stronger man and often seemed one step ahead of Dickens as the fight unfolded. While the bout featured its share of close rounds and measured exchanges, Cacace consistently did just enough to edge the action and gradually take control.
The official judges scored the contest 116-112, 116-113 and 115-113 in favor of the new champ, again, who extended his winning streak to 10 fights dating back to 2017. The win also marked Cacace's fourth consecutive victory against a top-level opponent, following notable triumphs over Englishmen Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood.
Back to Saturday night and the Queensberry main event. The early portion of the fight was competitive, and after four rounds, two of the three judges had the fight even, while the third had Cacace narrowly ahead. Both fighters found moments to land solid right hooks during several brief exchanges, though neither man managed to sustain long stretches of dominance.
The momentum began to shift in the fifth round, which proved to be Cacace’s most productive of the night. According to CompuBox statistics, he landed a fight-high 21 punches in that round. Pressing forward, Cacace backed Dickens toward the ropes and snapped his head back with a well-timed right uppercut. As Dickens attempted to tie him up, veteran referee Luis Pabon was forced to separate them during one clinch. By the end of the round, swelling had developed around Dickens’ left eye, a sign of the steady pressure he had absorbed.
Dickens’ problems worsened in the sixth round when his nose began bleeding. Cacace maintained a higher work rate and continued to accumulate rounds with his activity and accuracy, keeping the challenger on the defensive for much of the middle portion of the fight.
An accidental clash of heads in the ninth round opened a cut over Cacace’s right eye, briefly creating a sense of urgency. Dickens attempted to capitalize and enjoyed one of his better stretches in the tenth round. He connected with a solid body shot and landed a round-high 10 punches, his best statistical output of the bout. Still, the surge was not enough to significantly shift the momentum.
Heading into the final round, the urgency in Dickens’ corner was clear. His team knew he likely needed something dramatic in the 12th round to retain the title. Dickens pushed forward and attempted to increase the pace, but Cacace remained composed. He stuck to his game plan, avoided unnecessary risks and prevented Dickens from mounting any kind of late rally or threatening a knockdown.
The 37 year old Cacace’s latest success continues a remarkable run that began with one of the biggest upsets of 2024. In May of that year, he knocked out Cordina in the eighth round on the undercard of the Oleksandr Usyk–Tyson Fury fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, capturing the IBF junior lightweight title. Rather than defend that belt, Cacace chose to vacate it in order to pursue a more lucrative matchup with former champion Josh Warrington, who he defeated on a decision by a wide decision four months later.
He followed that win with another impressive performance last May, traveling to Nottingham, England, and knocking out hometown favorite Leigh Wood in the ninth round. That victory helped secure the opportunity to face Dickens for the WBA title.
Cacace spoke in the ring post fight about the hard-fought nature of the contest and he was clearly satisfied with the result,
“I’m delighted to win another world title,” Cacace said following the decision. “Jazza has a dodgy style. He’s so tough. He hit me with his head a lot and I couldn’t connect, but I’m the new world champion.”
The 34 year old Dickens entered the fight with an inspiring personal story. Originally from Liverpool but fighting out of Dubai in recent years, he once spent time living in Dublin, even staying in his van outside the same 3Arena where he walked in as champion on Saturday night.
His title reign had begun in dramatic fashion when he scored a fourth-round knockout upset of unbeaten 2020 Russian Olympic gold medalist Albert Batyrgaziev to win the interim belt last July. He was later elevated to full champion when Lamont Roach was stripped after moving up in weight.
Against Cacace, however, Dickens, now 36-5 on his career, struggled to impose his style. According to the final CompuBox numbers, Cacace landed 86 of 370 punches (23 percent), while Dickens connected on 65 of 313 (21 percent). Each fighter reached double-digit connects in only one round.
Looking ahead, Cacace hopes this championship reign will include defenses and possibly unification fights. He expressed interest in facing WBO and IBF champion Emanuel Navarrete or WBC titleholder O’Shaquie Foster, both among the division’s top fighters.
Promoter Frank Warren promised to pursue a major fight for Cacace and suggested that Ireland could host another significant boxing event.
“He’s a two-time world champion,” Warren said. “It’s unbelievable what he’s done. He’s pulled himself back together over the last few years and shown the skills he always had. He should be proud of what he’s achieved.”