Anthony Cacace Targets Emanuel Navarrete Unification After Claiming WBA Super-Featherweight Title

Anthony Cacace wasted no time in calling out Emanuel Navarrete for a unification bout after defeating Liverpool James Jazza Dickens by unanimous decision to claim the WBA super-featherweight championship on Saturday night.

The 37-year-old Belfast fighter, who now holds a 25-1 professional record, secured his second world title by outpointing Dickens in what he admitted was a below-par performance. However, his immediate focus shifted to bigger prizes and cementing his family boxing legacy.

Give me Navarrete - its not that hard to make, so lets make it, Cacace declared after his victory. The styles against Dickens never really gelled but I believe I can do better and unify. I can beat Navarrete and these guys, so thats what Im aiming for now.

Navarrete name represents the biggest obstacle standing between Cacace and undisputed championship glory. The Mexican warrior currently holds both the IBF title that Cacace previously relinquished and the WBO version, while America O Shaquie Foster owns the WBC crown.

At 37 years of age, time is working against the Belfast native, making these final laps of his career crucial for securing the legacy he desperately seeks. His promoter Frank Warren immediately endorsed the unification ambitions.

Of course I would like to see it and thats what we want to do, Warren stated. He is a two-time world champion and wants to unify the belts, so we will work on doing that.

Saturday victory carried deeper significance than just another world title for Cacace, whose Italian heritage from his father near Sorrento has driven his determination to establish the family name in boxing history.

No-one really heard of Cacace but now the names known, he reflected emotionally. His victory allowed him to put my daddy name down in the history books, adding personal pride to professional achievement.

The fight itself failed to reach classic status, with the orthodox versus southpaw styles never quite meshing to create sustained excitement. However, Cacace found his best moments in the fifth round, when he jumped on Dickens and let his hands go with spite, nearly finishing the contest.

A chinned left hand sustained during training camp may have prevented Cacace from capitalizing on his dominant spell. I tagged him and I could have had him out of there, but thats where the sharpness and the sparring comes in, he explained afterward.

I genuinely believed that I punched way too hard for him, but I just had to keep it nice and safe. I knew what to do in the fight and what way to control the fight.

The hand injury created mental challenges before the bout, with Cacace admitting it was mentally challenging in the changing room before he managed to shake off the negativity and focus on the task ahead.

Dickens refused to fold after absorbing punishment in the fifth round, riding the storm and having his own moments in subsequent rounds. However, the new champion maintained control throughout most of the contest to secure a deserved unanimous decision victory.

True to his humble roots, Cacace continues rejecting celebrity trappings, maintaining his refusal to participate in an open-top bus celebration as he did after winning the IBF title in 2024. Fame and celebrity remain secondary to his core motivations.

Instead, his inspiration comes from the support of his community, particularly the children from St Agnes GAA club and Holy Child primary school who have rallied behind his championship pursuits.

When I hear the kids at St Agnes all coming together and singing oh Anto Cacace and kids from my old primary school screaming my name, it fills me with pride and makes me emotional, he shared.

I am just a normal boy from Andytown and I want to show anyone can do this. With hard work, dedication and sacrifice, anyone can get here.

Now, with two world titles secured and unification opportunities beckoning, Cacace legacy ambitions are within touching distance.