Anthony Cacace Defeats Josh Warrington Via Unanimous Decision; Josh Kelly Edges Ishmael Davis

Anthony Cacace followed up his career-best victory with his highest profile feat to date.

The Ring’s No. 6-rated junior lightweight contender turned away the challenge of former featherweight titleholder Josh Warrington. Scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111 for Cacace, whose IBF 130-pound title was not at stake Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London.

Sanctioning was not provided by the IBF since Cacace was on the hook to next defend versus mandatory challenger Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez. Additionally, Warrington is unranked at any weight by the sanctioning body.

Tension was evident throughout the buildup to this matchup, not an uncommon occurrence with any given fight involving Warrington. Cacace even managed to get in a light shove at the end of the final pre-fight instructions. On the legal side of action, the Belfast native landed a crisp uppercut in the most telling punch of the opening round.

Warrington stormed back with a strong second round in his 130-pound debut. The former two-time IBF featherweight titlist worked his way inside and targeted the body. Cacace was briefly thrown off his game in the round and for pockets of the third.

The tide shifted for good in round four. Cacace was able to put together his power shots, which clearly stunned Warrington. It didn’t result in a knockdown, though Warrington was forced to clinch during several sequences.

Warrington’s most effective moments in the balance of the fight came with the use of his head. Another frequent occurrence in his fight is the number of head clashes. One such moment produced a slicing cut along Cacace’s left eyebrow. It never became a real factor, other than the nuisance of the blood that streamed down the side of his face.

Cacace connected with a right hand and left hook in the eighth. Warrington took the shots well while his back touched the ropes but he could not muster a response. He was later able to connect with body shots but Cacace brushed off the blows as he piled up points on the scorecards.

Warrington hit the deck inside the final minute of the twelfth and final round. He avoided a knockdown call when referee Howard Foster ruled that he slipped on the center ring logo. Cacace continued to initiate the action in the closing seconds to put a bow on his latest win.

The win saw Cacace (23-1, 8 knockouts) extend his current eight-fight win streak. Warrington (31-4-1, 8 KOs) is now 1-4-1 in his last six starts, including three consecutive defeats. While a valiant effort, it will be his last on this stage for a while. A popular ticket seller, Warrington—who brought 10,000 fans with him from Leeds—could rebuild at home.

However, his laying down his gloves at center ring after the decision was announced suggests he will more likely call it a career.

Meanwhile, Cacace will now have to revisit his mandatory title defense versus Nunez (28-1, 28 KOs). That is if he remains at the weight. The Ring has learned that there is a chance Cacace will vacate the IBF title later this year.

Also on the show, Josh Kelly survived a rocky final round to outpoint late substitute Ishmael Davis over twelve rounds. One judge had it 114-114, while Kelly (16-1-1, 8 KOs) won by scores of 115-113 and 115-114 in their contest above the 154-pound limit.

Davis (13-1, 6 KOs) accepted the fight on short notice, replacing an ill Liam Smith.

Kelly is the number-one contender according to the WBO’s junior middleweight rankings. He was not yet named as the mandatory challenger, however.

Both bouts were part of a six-fight DAZN/PPV.com pay-per-view event. Daniel Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) defends his IBF heavyweight title versus Anthony Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) atop the show.

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