WBA super-featherweight champion Anthony Cacace says suggestions of a showdown with Vasiliy Lomachenko will not distract him from his next fight, a maiden title defence against Liverpool's Nick Ball at the O2 Belfast on Saturday, 19 December.
The 37-year-old said he is focused fully on Ball. "I'm not really thinking about that just now," he said. "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." He recalled a 2012 tweet calling out Lomachenko, adding that if the fight ever materialises, he will "get that tweet sorted."
The WBA has indicated the winner must face Russia's Elnur Samedov next, but Lomachenko, who is returning, is reported by ESPN's Brian Custer to be keen on a fight. Ball, 29, returns to Belfast after a difficult run. He drew in his first world title attempt against Rey Vargas and later lost to Brandon Figueroa in February, his first career defeat, after being dropped twice and stopped in the final round.
Ball, a relentless and aggressive fighter, will concede considerable height and reach advantages to Cacace. He is stepping up to super-featherweight with the chance to become a two-weight champion. "All fights are challenging," he said. "The reach and the size advantage, I've been doing that my whole career, so that's nothing new to me."
For Cacace, headlining in Belfast for a world title defence is a dream come true. He has boxed in his native city only five times in a 26-fight career. He won his first world title in 2024 by stopping Joe Cordina for the IBF version in Saudi Arabia, and has since beaten Josh Warrington and Leigh Wood.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing