Sport

Anto Cacace finally has his time to shine in IBO super-featherweight title showdown * Padraig McCrory plots world title glory

Lights out... Padraig McCrory knocked out Celso Neves to win the WBO International Silver super-middleweight title
Lights out... Padraig McCrory knocked out Celso Neves to win the WBO International Silver super-middleweight title Lights out... Padraig McCrory knocked out Celso Neves to win the WBO International Silver super-middleweight title

ALWAYS highly-rated, but too often stuck on the sidelines, Anto Cacace finally gets his time to shine when he takes on Italian Michael Magnesi for the IBO super-featherweight title in Manchester on Saturday night.

There were long spells in his career when Cacace must have wondered where his next fight was coming from because he has lived a hand-to-mouth existence in boxing. The affable Belfast native had ill-fated partnerships in the USA and then with Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions before he returned to Belfast and has often found fights hard to come by.

Despite having boxed just once between December 2017 and November 2019, ‘the Apache’ beat Sam Bowen to win the British super-featherweight title in Birmingham and his only fight since was a defence of that belt in August last year when he out-pointed Leon Woodstock.

In all, he has fought 20 times (19-1) over more than 10 years as a professional and 27-year-old Lazio native Magnesi (21-0) expects to have too much for him in Manchester where he and Cacace appear on the undercard of the Joe Joyce versus Joseph Parker WBO interim heavyweight title headline act.

Cacace certainly won’t have to go looking for the Italian who, at his best, is a menacing, come-forward warrior who’ll put his head on his chest and blast away with both hands. He is superbly fit so Cacace will need to be at his best to keep him at bay and bring his advantages in height and reach to bear. Magnesi boasts that Cacace: “Cannot stop my path”.

He added: “My team and I aim to win all the world titles in my weight class, Cacace will not be a problem for me.

“My team had already proposed him to me a few years ago to European Union, but then I had the opportunity to fight for a major title, so our paths didn’t cross until now. Our plans were to make a defence with a good fighter in a match that would attract interest and then go to unify.”

HIS boyhood hero Brian Magee was a fearless road warrior who shook up the world and Pody McCrory intends to follow in the footsteps of Belfast’s former super-middleweight king.

‘The Hammer’ moves up to light-heavyweight to take on Germany’s Leon Bunn (18-0) for the IBO title at the Fabriksporthalle in Frankfurt on October 22 and after Bunn’s original opponent, Daniel Blenda dos Santos, pulled out with an ankle injury, McCrory was offered the chance to step up.

He intends to grab an unexpected opportunity with both hands.

“It was an opportunity that was put to me a couple of days before we were going to announce a European title shot,” he said.

“This came along and we looked into it and thought that the opportunity was too big to say ‘no’ to. I looked at the guy (Bunn) and he didn’t look like a massive light-heavyweight.

“He weighed 170lbs two fights ago so I knew I wouldn’t be stepping up and fighting a monster at the weight. It’s something I couldn’t turn down. At 34, an IBO title shot in a fight that I can win is massive.”

Time may not necessarily be on McCrory’s side at 34 but he is showing no signs of being on the decline and his most recent performance, against Marco Antonio Periban at the SSE Arena, was the best of his career so far. There was a school of thought that Periban’s experience and skill could prove difficult for McCrory’s but he was too slick and carried too much power for the rugged Mexican.

“Periban had only been stopped by the best in the world,” said McCrory.

“So I’m very confident at the minute. I’m on the back of four straight knockouts against fighters that were meant to test me. This is another step up, it’s another test and it’s going to be a different environment for me, it’s not something that I’m used to but I think it’s a challenge that I’m well able for.”

Over the years, Germany has developed a reputation as a very difficult place for outsiders to go and win. Bunn is a Frankfurt native so McCrory was go to his backyard and will need to beat him convincingly to take the title. If he catches the German clean at any stage in the fight, he could well take the decision out of the judges’ hands.

“Germany has always been a very hard place to go,” McCrory agreed.

“I remember the likes of Paul Smith going to Germany to fight Arthur Abraham and being very unlucky. But I take inspiration from Brian Magee who travelled overseas and won titles. He is a guy from the Road (the Falls Road) and he inspires me to take on this challenge.

“If I’m going to win in Germany, I have to win very convincingly – if not by knockout then by a wide points. It’s a challenge but any time I’ve been challenged to step up to the mark it has made me better.

“I have a lot of fans going over with me as well and that all adds to the opportunity, the moment, and I think it will drive me on to a massive victory.”

German Bunn was originally scheduled to fight for the title on October 1 and was delighted that a new opponent (McCrory) was found after dos Santos pulled out.

“I’m glad that we found a new opponent so fast,” he said.

“I have great respect for Padraig McCrory and I certainly won’t overlook him.

“However, my goal is set in stone: On October 22, I will become champion of the world in front of my fans in Frankfurt - and nobody will stop me! I can’t wait to enter the ring that night.”

FEARGAL McCrory brought three years’ of frustrating inactivity to an end with a points win over Cesar Cantu in Brooklyn, New York last weekend.

The Tyrone super-featherweight moved to 12-0 with the points win in his first action since 2019 when he defeated Elvis Guillen at the Europa Hotel, Belfast.

DERRY middleweight Conor Coyle defended his NABA title in Tampa, Florida with a points win against vastly-experienced Mexican Silverio Ortiz.

Coyle progressed to 17-0 with the unanimous decision victory. The Florida-based Derry man beat Antonio Todd in May to win the title and Ortiz did all he could to take it from him but ‘The Kid’ was quicker and his points win was punctuated with stinging shots off both hands.

Coyle now turns his attention to the main event ‘Down & Dirty 4’ which will take place in Boston on October 29.

KRISTINA O’Hara will take on Mexico number-three rated Brenda Balderas Martinez at the Magna Centre in Rotherham in her first scheduled six-rounder on October 7.

O’Hara’s two previous wins have been against fighters from Argentina and she faces a step up in class against Martinez (4-3-1) who has won her last three.