Anthony Cacace vs Josh Warrington: Prediction and Betting Tips
Anthony Cacace pulled off a stunning upset to stop the previously unbeaten Joe Cordina in his last bout and now faces another stern examination against two-time world champion Josh Warrington.
The bout takes place on the undercard of the IBF heavyweight world title fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, with Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) defending his IBO super featherweight strap but notably not his IBF equivalent.
Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs) comes into the fight after back-to-back defeats and has been out of the ring for nearly a year since losing to Leigh Wood in October 2023, meaning the former featherweight champion is the underdog in this match-up.
Tip 1 – Fight to go the distance no at 23/20
The build-up to this fight has been incredibly respectful with an absence of any real ‘trash talk’ but that doesn’t mean there won’t be fireworks when these two enter the ring on Saturday night.
Cacace is the clear favourite and justifiably so after his stunning display against slick operator Cordina. The Belfast native doesn’t have a particularly impressive stoppage rate, with just eight of his 20 wins coming inside the distance, but that win over Wales’ Cordina showed a new side of Cacace as he landed power shots almost at will before forcing an early finish in the eighth. That version of Cacace could be too much for Warrington to cope with.
Warrington’s stoppage rate is also modest, with just eight of his 31 wins coming inside the distance and two of his three losses coming via knockouts. However, there has been a shift in recent outings for the Leeds fighter with five of his last six bouts ending early – including two KO wins and a draw that was stopped on the advice of a doctor.
Warrington was ahead on the scorecards against Wood but a lapse in concentration saw him caught out and ultimately stopped. That may play on his mind on Saturday and he could try to force the issue.
Looking at the careers of these two fighters as a whole suggests the full 12 rounds could be required but the more recent bouts indicate we could be set for an early end to proceedings.
Tip 2 – Anthony Cacace to win by KO/TKO at 33/20
Cacace pulled off a stunning upset win over Cordina and now finds himself the favourite against two-time former featherweight king Warrington – and he can justify that favouritism with a stoppage win.
Warrington looked excellent against Wood for six rounds but then a dip in concentration saw him get caught out and the fight was stopped. Cacace perhaps doesn’t carry as much natural power as Wood but the manner of his win over Cordina indicates that he can hurt Warrington.
At 33, Warrington is actually two years younger than the IBF and IBO titleholder but, in boxing terms, he’s got a few more miles on the clock and has taken more punishment over the course of his career. If Cacace can replicate the kind of performance he put in against Cordina he could secure another eye-catching stoppage win.
Tip 3 – Alternate Winning Group Of Rounds - Rounds 7-12 at 7/5
None of Cacace’s fights have finished before the sixth round since 2016, while only three of Warrington’s 23 fights that have been scheduled for 10 or more rounds have ended in the sixth or earlier.
Both of these men are capable of securing an early finish but neither really looks likely to end this contest in one visit at the first opportunity. If either does force a stoppage it will probably be due to a cumulative effect rather than one show-stopping attack in the opening exchanges, so backing the fight to end in rounds 7-12 appeals.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation