Anthony Cacace v Josh Warrington: IBF Super-Featherweight Title Not On The Line
The IBF has announced that its super-featherweight world title will not be on the line when champion Anthony Cacace faces Josh Warrington in London on Saturday.
Cacace (22-1-0 8 KO) and Warrington (31-3-1 8 KO) will fight on the undercard of the Riyadh Season show at Wembley Stadium, headlined by the IBF heavyweight title bout between champion Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua.
However, while it was initially expected to be for both of Cacace’s titles – the IBF and the minor IBO belt – the IBF released a statement confirming its title will not be contested due to the champion’s mandatory duties against top-ranked contender Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez.
“Due to some confusion, the IBF wishes to clarify the status of the IBF Jr. Lightweight title concerning the upcoming Anthony Cacace vs. Josh Warrington bout,” the sanctioning body said. “Anthony Cacace is due to make a Mandatory defense of his title no later than Monday, November 18, 2024, pursuant to this rule.
“Anthony Cacace was due to be notified of his mandatory defense against #1 ranked Jr. Lightweight and mandatory contender Eduardo Nunez, approximately on September 19, 2024, pursuant to Rule 5.D.1 that states in part:
“Should the Champion lose his title in an optional defense against an opponent other than the leading available contender, the new Champion shall be required to make his mandatory title defense against the leading available contender, as designated by the Championships Chairman, within a period of six (6) months after the acquisition.”
In other words, the IBF has granted Cacace special permission to fight Warrington while retaining his title, and should he win and retain the belt, he will need to face Nunez before the end of March 2025 to avoid being stripped. Should Cacace lose, the title will immediately become vacant.
Warrington, a former two-time featherweight world champion with the IBF, admitted his frustration at the situation having originally been assured that the 130-pound belt would be on the line.
“The initial week, I got offered to fight for the IBF world title and the IBO against Anthony Cacace,” he said. “I was a little bit surprised at first because the fight was spoken about around three weeks prior to that but initially it got squashed because I’ve not had a fight at super-featherweight, and I am not in the super-featherweight rankings with the IBF.
“I was surprised that they were allowing me to fight for it because a few weeks prior the fight had been negotiated and they said ‘no, Josh can’t fight for it [the title].
“The IBF have obviously pulled the rug and said ‘no, he can’t fight for it’. Am I disappointed? Yes, I am, especially when that is one of the main marbles. I am not taking no smoke away from the IBO but the IBF is one of the main four. I may have dipped for a few hours but now if anything I am even more determined to win.”
Cacace v Warrington is one of five bouts on the undercard on Saturday, led by the co-main event between European middleweight champion Tyler Denny and top-ranked contender Hamzah Sheeraz.
Elsewhere, Josh Kelly will fight late replacement Ishmael Davis in a middleweight bout after initial opponent Liam Smith withdrew due to illness, while Mark Chamberlain and Josh Padely will contest a lightweight fight, and Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson look to settle their animosity in a light-heavyweight showdown.
