Nick Peet: Cacace vs Wood Preview

LEIGH Wood went from being the most exciting fighter in Britain to the most inactive, but he’ll need to put that behind him at home in Nottingham on Saturday.

Belfast southpaw Anto Cacace arrives in the West Midlands a weight division above and in the form of his life for a showdown between two of the UK’s most fan-favourite fighters.

World title belts have come, gone and been cast aside in order to make this weekend’s mouth-watering 12-rounder, one that almost guarantees fireworks from the opening bell.

Both Wood and Cacace are aggressive, relentless warriors as capable of scoring show-stopping KO wins as they are one-sided boxing lessons.

Styles make fights and with both men in the twilight of their careers, losing is simply not an option. Indicators of an exceptional encounter.

LETHAL LEIGH

Wood, 36, makes his super-featherweight debut following a couple of years selling out arenas up and down the country, juggling a version of the world featherweight belt.

He won the title in Eddie Hearn’s back garden during Covid, as a significant underdog, before defences against Michael Conlan, Josh Warrington and exacting revenge over Mexican Mauricio Lara.

Those victories, overcoming adversity more than once, ensured Wood became a serious ticket-seller.

THE APACHE

Cacace, six months Wood’s junior, only enjoyed his breakthrough moment last year when he too upset the odds to rip a version of the world super-feather crown away from Joe Cordina.

He then outboxed former Wood rival Warrington on the big Dubois–AJ undercard at Wembley Stadium in September.

But surrendered the championship belt at the start of the year to avoid a high-risk, low-reward #1 contender clash in favour of this far more lucrative meeting with Wood.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

After a largely disappointing weekend, where events in Times Square and Saudi Arabia failed to get the heart racing, Nottingham Arena will have no such problems.

Wood’s 19-months of inactivity should be of concern to fans, who will need to get behind their man like never before as he begins a late-career campaign to becoming a two-weight champion.

But Wood (28-3) has proven previously how he is made for the big occasion.

Capace (23-1) has the form and natural size advantage – three inches taller and four inches of reach – to dominate early, especially if he can keep his southpaw jab busy.

But the tide will turn after a couple of rounds as Wood finds his range. At that point, sit back and enjoy.

Wood has considerably more knockouts on his record (60%), but Cacace has real hidden power and neither are one-punch finishers. Both rely on volume and crippling combinations.

The last southpaw Wood faced was Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens in 2020 and he really struggled, losing on points. But he’s come a long way in the five years since.

Similarly, Anto’s sole defeat arrived in his first 12 rounder in 2017, when he ran out of gas in the closing stages against Martin Ward in a British title fight.

He’s won eight straight since – six over the championship distance.

The best version of Anto Cacace will step into this ring, but has the best version of Leigh Wood been left in 2023 and down at nine-stone?

Has the most exciting fighter in Britain got one last war in him?

He’s in the right ring if he has.

TIP: Wood on Points