Lyon Woodstock wants Anthony Cacace to come out all guns blazing
Lyon Woodstock predicts that a Hagler-Hearns classic could well be on the cards when he steps into the ring to take on Anthony Cacace for the British super featherweight title on Saturday night.
The 1985 three-round war between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns entered into boxing folklore, with the two greats immediately engaging in a ferocious shootout with three world middleweight titles at stake before Hearns was halted just under two minutes into the third.
It was an incredible passage of pulsating action that Woodstock believes could be repeated when he attempts to part the Belfast man from his Lonsdale belt, live on BT Sport from 7.30pm on Saturday.
"We are both fighting men and what you will see on the night could go one of two ways depending on him," explained 'The Lion' from Leicester. "I think it could be a Hagler and Hearns type fight where we both come out all guns blazing or it could be a long night that goes to points.
"I don't really look too much into advantages or disadvantages to me, I just know what I am going to go in there and do on the night.
"The flaws I see in Cacace again depend on what man gets in there on the night. It makes no difference though because I know what I am going in to do."
Woodstock, 12-2, hopes that, stylistically, Cacace will be much more up his street than his two major title contests that ended in defeat against Archie Sharp and Zelfa Barrett. Both are elusive movers happy to operate off the back foot, which made for a frustrating night's work for the naturally front footed puncher.
"You have seen with me that I haven't really struggled with anyone who will fight me," he pointed out. "The only times I have come unstuck – and they weren't landslides – was in the Archie and Zelfa fights. When people tend to be a bit more negative with me and dance around and move a lot more, that is when you have seen me come unstuck.
"And I am not an idiot, so I am not going to be the exact same because I am learning and growing.
"You know what you get with Lyon, he is an animal, he's got fire and that is what I will be bringing. If he can't take these temperatures he will soon find out. I like to call myself a deep sea diver because I like to take people to the depths. I was born down there where a lot of people can't breathe and as soon as they pick their head up to get a breath, I will take it off.
"Cacace choosing me as a voluntary I feel is a good move for his career. He is not fighting no bum and not trying to have an easy route. He chose this and it shows he is a fighting man and I respect him as a fighter and a person.
"For me this is everything and it is my world title in my head. Even if I go on to fight for a world title in the coming years, it is never going to be this, this fight. People have seen me grow and come through my tribulations. Some forget that I have not had many fights, just 24 amateur fights and 14 pro.
"The level I have fought at – whether I have won or lost – is commendable. I am still learning, still growing and every day I am getting better. This is it, this is the journey and everything has led to this for me, which makes it bigger than a world title. The transitional moment of moving from one point to another.
"I am willing to put everything on the line for this. A lot of fighters talk this way, but I mean it, genuinely with all my heart and I don't think Cacace is a man that is willing to do that."
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