Anthony Cacace celebrated his significant victory in impressive fashion, stopping Leigh Wood in the ninth round to claim another notable scalp.
The two 36-year-old fighters faced off in a super-featherweight bout held at Wood`s home arena in Nottingham.
However, the powerful fighter from Belfast, who had previously defeated Joe Cordina and Josh Warrington in his last two fights, proved too strong for the veteran Wood, securing the win just before the final championship rounds.
Cacace marked the lucrative victory by posing in the ring with his team, promoter Frank Warren, and enjoying some large cigars.
Wood, a fan of Nottingham Forest, started quickly, landing effective jabs to Cacace`s head and body.
But the skilled fighter from Northern Ireland was smart and aggressive, landing sharp right hands whenever Wood came within range.
Cacace found his rhythm in the second round and began connecting with his left hooks.
However, just as the bell sounded, Wood evaded an attack and landed what appeared to be a perfect left hook on Cacace.
In the third round, Wood`s sharp double jabs were effective, prompting the switch-hitting Cacace to adopt a southpaw stance for the first time in the fight.
The fight remained close and competitive until the ninth round, when Cacace decisively took control, accelerating his attack.
A devastating left hook from Cacace left Wood unbalanced and severely hurt.
Seeing this, Wood`s trainer, Ben Davison, wisely threw in the towel to protect his fighter, triggering enthusiastic celebrations back in Belfast (Andytown).
The former world champion, who gave up his previous title for this opportunity, stated, “I took this fight purely for the money.”
He added, “It was worth double the amount I would have received defending my old world title.”
“I`m 36 now,” he remarked, “so ‘Show me the Money!’”
“I would love to have a homecoming fight in Belfast,” Cacace continued, “but now it`s my time to keep moving forward.”
Leigh Wood accepted the defeat gracefully, telling Dazn post-fight, “I don`t want to make any excuses; I promised I wouldn`t.”
He added, “It was tough tonight, perhaps tougher than usual, maybe due to the lay-off, I`m not sure. He`s a very good fighter, and I hope he continues his success.”
