Anthony Cacace pulled off a shock, eighth-round TKO win when he overwhelmed Joe Cordina for the IBF world junior lightweight title on Saturday.
Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs), 35, from Belfast in Northern Ireland, won his first major world title and ended Cordina’s second reign as champion in a second defense on the undercard of the undisputed world heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A pivotal moment in the fight came in the third round, when Cacace caught Cordina with a left hand after referee Bob Williams called for the fighters to break and stop fighting. Cacace then went on the attack and landed a perfect right uppercut and Cordina crashed face first on to the canvas for a count.
Cacace produced the fight of his life and dominated Cordina after flooring the champion in the third round.
Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs), 32, from Cardiff in Wales, got up and his head cleared as he recovered through the fourth round, but Cacace repeatedly nailed the Welshman with right uppercuts.
From then, Cacace went on to land 116 power punches to Cordina’s 41 according to CompuBox statistics.
Just 39 seconds into the eighth round, a dominant Cacace overwhelmed Cordina, who was bullied for large periods of the fight from the third round onward.
“I’m in shock,” Cacace said. “Joe is a hell of a competitor but I was hurting him with every single shot. The referee said break as I threw a punch, there was nothing dirty about it.”
Cordina may now opt to step up to lightweight after some close fights recently. Cordina won a disputed, majority points decision over Edward Vazquez in November after prevailing by a split points verdict against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov earlier last year.
The Welshman made a good start but in the third he seemed stunned by the blow that landed after Williams called the fighters to break. Cacace piled on the pressure and snapped back Cordina’s head with a right uppercut that sent the champion down for a count.
Cordina looked in trouble but he recovered through the fourth round. However, Cacace remained on top and he repeatedly landed heavy hooks. Cacace finished the sixth round by landing three successive right uppercuts and in the seventh Cordina took some punishment camped on the ropes.
Cacace landed some big hooks amid a barrage of punches that led to the sensible stoppage and Cordina will now consider stepping up a division to repair the damage of his first professional defeat.
News
DRAKE IN AMERICA. 50 CENT IN THE UK. EMINEM IN AUSTRALIA. JAY-Z ACROSS THE WORLD. Between 2014 and 2024 these rap legends filled stadiums across three continents during their biggest world tours… but a backstage photo from a London venue recently showed dressing rooms labeled with four names fans didn’t expect to see together
DRAKE IN AMERICA. 50 CENT IN THE UK. EMINEM IN AUSTRALIA. JAY-Z ACROSS THE WORLD. Between 2014 and 2024, these rap legends filled stadiums and arenas across three continents during their biggest world tours. Their paths rarely crossed on the…
US. UK. AUSTRALIA. The biggest rap world tours of the last decade keep crossing paths — Drake’s stadium shows, 50 Cent’s 2023–2024 anniversary tour, Eminem’s rare international performances, and Jay-Z’s global run before that… yet insiders say one 2025 show in the UK could quietly bring multiple legends onto the same stage
The biggest rap world tours of the last decade have repeatedly crisscrossed the globe, turning stadiums and arenas in the US, UK, and Australia into epicenters of hip-hop energy. From Drake’s record-breaking arena runs to 50 Cent’s celebratory victory laps,…
NEIGHBOURS SAW THE POLICE LIGHTS FIRST 🚨 Residents of a quiet Emu Plains cul-de-sac say the night was peaceful — until sirens broke the silence just after 7pm
NEIGHBOURS SAW THE POLICE LIGHTS FIRST 🚨Residents of a quiet Emu Plains cul-de-sac say the night was peaceful — until sirens broke the silence just after 7pm.Inside one home, a 58-year-old father lay critically injured, while his 30-year-old son was…
THE LAST 49 MINUTES INSIDE THAT HOUSE 🚨 Police say a 58-year-old father and his 30-year-old son had been drinking together before things suddenly escalated. Neighbours watched as multiple patrol cars and flashing lights filled the small cul-de-sac — and paramedics rushed through the front door. But it was one question reportedly asked later in court that left the room in stunned silence 👇
Murder charge for man accused of stabbing his father to death before Easter long weekend in Emu Plains A man has been accused of killing his own father in what police have described as a “confronting” situation in Sydney’s west. The 30-year-old…
FATHER AND SON ‘PLAY-FIGHTING’ — THEN SIRENS FILLED THE STREET 🚨 At around 6:30pm, a 58-year-old dad was reportedly drinking with his 30-year-old son inside their quiet Emu Plains home
FATHER AND SON ‘PLAY-FIGHTING’ — THEN SIRENS FILLED THE STREET 🚨At around 6:30pm, a 58-year-old dad was reportedly drinking with his 30-year-old son inside their quiet Emu Plains home. Neighbours say they heard raised voices… then saw ambulances and police…
“CALL ME WHEN YOU GET THERE” 📱💔 Like many parents, Chloe’s family had one simple rule: Just send a message when you arrive safely. But that message from Chloe Watson Dransfield never came. And the silence has never felt so heavy
Like many parents, Chloe Watson Dransfield’s family had one simple rule: just send a message when you arrive safely. A quick text to let them know their daughter was okay and on her way home. But that message from Chloe…
End of content
No more pages to load
