Josh Warrington previews his upcoming fight with Anthony Cacace
Two-time Featherweight king Josh Warrington is hoping to silence his doubters when he locks horns with Anthony Cacace in what promises to be an electric Super-Featherweight match-up on the undercard of the huge all-British Heavyweight World Title clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium this Saturday, shown live on DAZN.
‘The Leeds Warrior’ (33-1-3, 8 KOs) heads into this weekend’s showdown with Belfast’s big-punching Cacace as an underdog having lost his last two fights against Leigh Wood and Luis Alberto Lopez, but the 33-year-old Yorkshire star insists he is unfazed at the challenge ahead of him and has the bit between his teeth to earn another shot at world honours.
Despite the IBF World Title not being on the line, Warrington knows that a win over Cacace will fire his name back into World Title contention in his new 130 pounds division – a move up in weight that the Leeds United fanatic admits was long overdue having endured a frustrating three years that ultimately harboured one win in five fights.
“I can’t cry over spilt milk, but I do wish I’d have done it a few years ago,” Warrington told Matchroom Boxing. “Obviously it’s a new division for me. I’m coming off nearly a year-long lay-off, which is no good for any fighter – especially a fighter that is getting to the latter stages of his career.
“I’m a fighter who is used to being out two, three, four times a year. The last two or three years have been so inconsistent. So, it’s not great, but with that being said he’s got a few more years on me. I’m a lot more experienced and I’ve been in the harder fights. I’m up for the challenge and I feel like I’ve had the bit between my teeth.”
‘The Apache’ (22-1, 8 KOs) earned a career-best win last time out in Riyadh when he ripped the IBF 130lbs crown from Welshman Joe Cordina via an eighth-round stoppage on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed Heavyweight World Title win over Tyson Fury.
The 35-year-old southpaw is in a supremely confident mood heading into what was originally scheduled to be the first defence of his World Title, insisting that there is no way Warrington can beat him. Never one to shy away from challenges, Warrington has warned his opponent to underestimate him at his own peril.
“He’s going to feel like he can beat me because going off my last fight I got stopped,” said Warrington. “I got caught with one shot and I was done. His record doesn’t suggest it, but he can bang, and I know he can bang. Carl [Frampton] has sparred him and said many a time that he’s one of the strongest guys that he’s sparred with.
“But then again, I’ve looked over some of his fights. I’m not Lyon Woodstock, I’m not a weight drained Joe Cordina. I’m not just going to stand in front of him. He’s already made it quite clear that I just bomb forward and thrown punches, and that’s all you’re going to get. He can box and he can do this and that – people don’t really give me credit for my boxing ability.
“Yes, I’m not on the back foot counterpunching but I can go on the back foot and box. I’m not a long fencer and I’m not hands down elusive, but I can box. I can come forward and I can mix it with anybody. He’s no stronger puncher than any other man that I’ve been in with.
“Yeah, he’ll be able to bang but I don’t think he’ll be able to out muscle me. He’s going to punch down to me and he certainly won’t outwork me – not over 12, it’s not long enough. It’s easy to look and say that he’ll do this and do that against Josh Warrington but when I’m in there and in front of you it’s a different story.”
Over six years on from winning his first World Title against Wales’ long-reigning World Champion Lee Selby on a memorable evening at his spiritual home Elland Road, Warrington still believes that he has enough left in his locker to become and three-time and two-weight World Champion.
“Rewind to last October, I lost the fight against Leigh Wood. On paper, it’s by TKO, but I was winning the fight on all of the judges’ scorecards. Officially I was winning the fight by five rounds to one up until that point. It’s fine margins isn’t it.
“Obviously in this game you’re always judged off your last fight. With that being said, people don’t see what goes on day in and day out in the gym. If I wasn’t able to mix it up with the lads that I train with then I’d walk away – I’d have called it a day already. I still feel there’s enough in me to win another World Title and operate at this level.
“With this one, I know it’s a challenge, I know what I’m in for. I’ve already sat across from Anto and he’s told me what he’s prepared to do to win. I know it’s going to be a hell of a fight. I know where I need to go physically and mentally to win. If so be it I’ll have to go there.”
Cacace vs. Warrington is part of a blockbuster night of action in Wembley, Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) collide for the IBF Heavyweight World Title, Birmingham’s Tyler Denny (19-2-3, 1 KO) defends his EBU European Middleweight Title against Ilford’s Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0, 16 KOs), Sunderland’s Josh Kelly (15-1-1, 8 KOs) takes on late replacement Ishmael Davis (13-0, 6 KOs) at Middleweight, Croydon’s Joshua Buatsi (18-0, 13 KOs) and Scotland’s Willy Hutchinson (18-1, 13 KO) clash for the interim WBO Light-Heavyweight World Title and Portsmouth Lightweight Mark Chamberlain (16-0, 12 KOs) puts his undefeated record on the line against Yorkshire’s Josh Padley (14-0, 4 KOs).