Anthony Cacace is refusing to let the prospect of a blockbuster showdown against Ukrainian legend Vasiliy Lomachenko cloud his focus as he prepares for the inaugural defense of his WBA super-featherweight title.
The 37-year-old Belfast fighter is scheduled to defend his crown against Liverpool’s former WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball at the recently renamed O2 Belfast on Saturday, 19 December. The event marks a monumental homecoming for Cacace, who will be headlining a major world championship bill in his native city for the first time in his professional career.
While the fight against Ball presents a formidably aggressive challenge in its own right, whispers surrounding Cacace’s future have intensified in recent days. Reports from ESPN journalist Brian Custer indicate that Lomachenko, who is preparing for a return to the ring, has expressed interest in facing the winner of the Belfast clash.
Additionally, official sanctioning guidance from the WBA has already established that the victor on 19 December must face Russia’s mandatory challenger, Elnur Samedov.
Despite the alluring possibility of sharing the ring with a multi-division world champion and pound-for-pound great in Lomachenko, Cacace remains adamant that his immediate focus belongs entirely to the dangerous Liverpudlian standing across from him.
"I’m not really thinking about that just now, I just kind of want to focus fully on Nick Ball and this fight coming up," Cacace insisted during Friday’s press conference.
For Cacace, the mere mention of Lomachenko’s name in connection with his own career serves as a stark reminder of his extraordinary trajectory over the past decade. Long before he was holding world titles, the Irishman was actively seeking out high-profile assignments on social media.
"I woke up to them type of things [Lomachenko interest] going to myself, ‘what?’. To see that type of stuff blows my mind but it’s one of those things and I’m just super grateful for it all," Cacace said. "I remember putting a tweet out in 2012 calling out Lomachenko, so if that fight ever materialises, I’ll get that tweet sorted."
Size Disadvantage No Concern for Ball
For 29-year-old Nick Ball, the trip across the Irish Sea represents a pivotal crossroads in his career. The fight marks his official step up into the super-featherweight division, offering him an immediate opportunity to become a two-weight world champion—an achievement the Liverpool fighter describes as "something special."
This will not be Ball’s first time competing on a major card in the Northern Irish capital. The last time Cacace boxed at the venue was in 2023, when he out-pointed Damian Wrzesinski over 12 rounds on the undercard of Luis Alberto Lopez’s IBF featherweight title victory against Michael Conlan.
On that very same 2023 card, Ball produced a dramatic final-round stoppage over South Africa’s Ludumo Lamati. That bout concluded under distressing circumstances when Lamati suffered a stroke in the ring, though the South African has since made a full recovery.
Remarkably, Ball admitted he "didn’t even know that" he and Cacace had previously shared an undercard in Belfast, but expressed total delight at returning to the city for this world title opportunity.
Following that night in Belfast, Ball embarked on a tumultuous world championship run at featherweight. His initial bid for a world title ended in a hard-fought draw against Rey Vargas. He quickly rectified that disappointment in his subsequent outing, capturing the title in a grueling battle against Raymond Ford.
Ball successfully defended his featherweight strap on three occasions before his momentum hit an unexpected roadblock in February of this year. In his 25th professional contest, Ball met Brandon Figueroa in a chaotic clash that unravelled dramatically in the final seconds of the 12th round. After a relentless back-and-forth contest, Ball was dropped twice in the closing frame and ultimately stopped, handing him his first professional defeat.
"It was a good fight, back and forth for 12 rounds and he caught me with a good shot in the last round," Ball reflected when discussing his lone career setback. "He threw an overhand left counter as I was throwing, so that’s what happened. It’s boxing, it’s part of the game."
Known for his explosive energy and relentless forward movement, Ball brings an intense fighting style into every contest. Moving up to super-featherweight means he will concede noticeable height and reach advantages to the taller, longer Cacace. However, Ball insists that his decision to move up a weight class was dictated purely by the magnitude of this specific contest, and he expects his frame to carry the extra weight naturally.
Ball believes he will enter the ring feeling "stronger, more comfortable," dismissive of any suggestion that giving up physical stature to Cacace will dictate the outcome of the fight.
"All fights are challenging," Ball countered. "The reach and the size advantage [for opponents], I’ve been doing that my whole career, so that’s nothing new to me."
‘Dream Come True’ for Cacace to Defend at Home
For Cacace, headlining in Belfast as a defending world champion represents the culmination of a long, often frustrating journey through the professional ranks. Across a 26-fight career that has spanned more than a decade, the 37-year-old has fought in his native city on just five occasions.
For years, Cacace operated in the relative shadows of the sport, fighting on undercards and waiting for the breakout opportunity that long eluded him. That breakthrough finally arrived in spectacular fashion in 2024, when he traveled to Saudi Arabia and delivered a career-defining performance to stop Joe Cordina and capture the IBF super-featherweight title.
Rather than resting on his laurels, Cacace consolidated his newfound status with high-profile victories against former world champions Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood. After eventually vacating his IBF crown, Cacace earned an opportunity at the WBA championship earlier this year against James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, securing another memorable triumph to cement his standing at the top of the 130-pound division.
Now, with former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton watching on at Friday’s press conference as the two fighters went face-to-face, Cacace reflected on the surreal nature of bringing a world title defense back home to Northern Ireland.
"I always wanted to come back and have one big show," Cacace said. "It’s a dream come true. I never believed I’d be in this situation, but here I am."
Facing a challenger who relies heavily on pressure and high-volume punching, Cacace is fully aware of the tactical demands Ball will place on him over 12 rounds. Yet, having spent more than two decades perfecting his craft in the gym and in the ring, the champion remains thoroughly unphased by the stylistic puzzle in front of him.
"I’m just expecting the usual Nick Ball, [he’ll] come forward with aggression," Cacace noted calmly. "I feel like I can do it all. I can deal with him and deal with those styles for 20-plus years, so it’s just going to be another fight, another good fight and hopefully a good show for Belfast."
With both fighters boasting proven world-class pedigree, a history of involvement in dramatic ring battles, and huge future opportunities hanging in the balance, December 19 at the O2 Belfast promises to deliver one of the most compelling domestic world title clashes of the year.
