At the 3Arena in Dublin last night, the bout between WBA super-featherweight world champion James Dickens (36-6-0, 15 KOs) and title challenger Anthony Cacace (25-1-0, 9 KOs) took place. Anthony Cacace prevailed, managing his opponent with composure and confidence thanks to a solid and effective boxing style in which distance control proved to be the key factor. These were the (unanimous) scorecards of the three judges: 115-113, 116-112 and 116-113.
“Jazza” Dickens, a 34-year-old southpaw from Liverpool, had held the title since December 2025, having been elevated to full world champion after Lamont Roach Jr. was stripped of the belt. Dickens has had an intense career, highlighted by his bouts against his nemesis Kid Galahad and the one against Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Anthony Cacace, 37, from Belfast in Northern Ireland but of clear Italian heritage, entered the fight with an almost spotless résumé. His only defeat dates back to 2017, when he lost a unanimous decision to Martin J Ward. Since then he has strung together a long winning streak — nine victories to be exact — including notable wins over Joe Cordina, Leigh Wood and Italy’s Michael Magnesi.
At the opening bell, both fighters immediately tried to take the center of the ring, carefully avoiding being pushed back to the ropes. Dickens initially worked to the body, attempting to wear Cacace down. He looked very mobile from the start, unlike Cacace, who moved more sparingly and relied mainly on range-controlling punches such as the jab and the straight right, taking advantage of his longer reach.
Both fighters showed great caution and struggled to let their hands go. Cacace mainly looked for openings inside, while Dickens tried to slip around his opponent’s straight punches to land his own shots.
Toward the end of round three both landed with rear hooks, but it was Cacace who finished stronger, catching his opponent with a good left hook.
At the beginning of round four Dickens tried to attack Cacace, but managed to land only a few body shots. The two continued to measure their punches, producing a very tactical fight with several rounds difficult to score.
Then, early in the fifth round, Cacace unexpectedly went on the offensive against the champion, landing a left hook and a right hand. The action continued and the Irishman again caught Dickens with a sharp right hook, leaving him shaken. It was a very tough round for Dickens, who tried to respond late in the round but without much success.
After the break the champion seemed back on track, but he continued to work mainly with single shots to the head and especially the body. Lacking great power, his limited offensive output ultimately favored Cacace, who proved more effective whenever he let his hands go.
The offensive output of both fighters remained quite low. While Cacace clearly dominated one round, the first half of the fight featured several rounds with little meaningful action. However, Cacace managed to press the accelerator at the right moments and then controlled the bout with determination and confidence.
At the start of the eighth, Anthony came forward decisively, displaying good combinations and thoughtful footwork, managing distance with authority and switching stance when necessary. His left hook and right hand proved effective and well-timed, catching the champion off guard and landing several times. Cacace’s forward bursts created more than a few problems for Dickens, who struggled to counter them effectively. The Englishman gradually lost sharpness and speed as the rounds went by, appearing somewhat more dangerous only when he managed to close the distance. Unlike his opponent, however, Dickens had trouble advancing due to Cacace’s footwork, as the Irishman skillfully stepped off the line of attack.
Midway through round nine Dickens produced one final surge after a mistake by Cacace, who paused due to a presumed head clash, allowing Jazza to take advantage and land a few punches, though none decisive. Replays later confirmed the clash of heads, which caused a cut over the Irishman’s right eyebrow.
Cacace continued to manage the remaining rounds with well-timed movement, essentially neutralizing Dickens’ boxing. Dickens kept throwing single punches but never truly let his hands go, too hesitant to close the distance, too inaccurate and not powerful enough to trouble his opponent.
After 12 rounds, the verdict awarded Cacace a unanimous decision victory. In the writer’s view the decision was correct: Cacace appeared in control throughout the fight, handled Dickens’ attacks with confidence and proved the more dangerous and effective fighter whenever he opened up.