Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood Predictions: World class super feathers square off in Nottingham

Anthony Cacace faces off with Leigh Wood this Saturday, May 10 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. The super featherweight fight will see Cacace defend his IBO version of the 130lb championship. The fight will be screened on DAZN as the next installment of Queensberry’s partnership with the streamer, which began with Filip Hrgovic’s points win over Joe Joyce.

Here are my Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood predictions ahead of this 12-round main event.

Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood Odds

Cacace is a strong 4/9 to pick up the victory and keep his winning run going. Wood is 19/10 to add to his impressive resume with a triumph. A draw can be backed at 16/1.

Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood Fight Preview

While this is a great fight on paper, it is also a bit of a surprising one. Cacace actually relinquished the IBF super featherweight championship to make the bout happen. 

The Northern Irishman had been ordered to face Matchroom’s Mexican knockout sensation Eduardo Nunez. But Cacace instead opted to vacate the title he won so shockingly against Joe Cordina last May, citing a far superior financial offer to fight Wood. In a social media post in response to comments from Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn, Cacace said “As you said it’s a great fight don’t be expecting me to fight for silly money”.

The lightly-regarded IBO title is still on the line, but even without the IBF strap in place this is still a great piece of matchmaking. A champion bang-in-form meets a hometown hero in Nottingham’s irrepressible Wood.

Every underdog has his day and the two men who will meet in the ring on Saturday each ascended to the top of the sport as the unfavoured fighter.

Cacace lost a unanimous decision to the underrated Martin J Ward back in 2017, with the British and Commonwealth titles on the line. The result stung at the time, but the fact Ward had beaten another fighter who went on to great things, Maxi Hughes, in his previous fight has seen this loss age relatively well.

Cacace never looked back after, with six consecutive wins netting him both the British and IBO super featherweight straps. But even on this run of form, few were backing Cacace to go all the way. When the opportunity to face Wales’ rising star Cordina came up, most expected the unbeaten Cardiff man to retain the IBF championship.

But Cacace found a mighty performance in Riyadh, knocking Cordina down in the third before closing the show with an eighth-round TKO victory. It was a turn-up for the books as Cordina had been pegged as a potential British superstar. But the Welshman has not fought since, while the then-35-year-old late bloomer Cacace would go on to add another big scalp to his resume.

Josh Warrington was not the fighter he once was by the time Cacace got to him last September. That much was reflected in the fact the IBF would not sanction the fight for their title due to the challenger being unranked. But ‘The Leeds Warrior’ did put up a mighty fight on the night, holding his own in the exchanges and making Cacace work for a well-deserved unanimous nod. 

Cacace enjoyed a breakout 2024, that much is certain. But Wood did not participate in the annum at all in the fistic sense. You have to go back to October 2023 for his last bout, coincidentally a seventh-round stoppage of Josh Warrington.

That was the first and only defence of Wood’s second reign as WBA featherweight champion. The first had ended at the hands of the dangerous Mauricio Lara. But Wood had shown the world exactly who he is with a superb unanimous nod over the Mexican in their rematch in May 2023.

Wood vacated his championship in order to pursue opportunities up at super featherweight. A rematch with Warrington was mooted at the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest FC. But after becoming a promotional free agent, the two-time world champion is now topping this Queensberry bill.

Both participants are 36 years of age, which makes for an interesting dynamic. Often clashes in that age band, particularly in the lower weight classes, are veteran “last dances” of a sort. But both Cacace and Wood walked into their last fights as reigning world champions. Neither lost those titles in the ring. The IBO title may not be worth the leather it’s plated on, but this is a world class match-up.

What a difference a year makes. With Wood having been out of the ring, many are talking up a possible retirement. Yet Cacace is the same age and coming off the best year of his ring career. Throw in a buoyant Nottingham crowd roaring on their man, and the likelihood of huge fights ahead for the winner, and this could be a truly special occasion.

Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood Full Card

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Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood Prediction

I have learned never to count out Leigh Wood. I have also learned never to count out Anthony Cacace. Draw?

While that choice is 16/1 if you want it, and I certainly considered it deeply, I do have a winner in mind. That winner is Cacace.

I believe ‘The Apache’ has the edge here in a precious yet ethereal metric. Put simply, the Northern Irishman has the momentum. While Wood has been out of the ring, through no fault of his own mind, Cacace has built his reputation from domestic concern to world-level competitor.

I would have liked to see ‘Leigh-thal’ to get some rounds in his legs before this. But respect to him for wanting to only entertain the biggest fights possible. This potential banger certainly qualifies.

I think Cacace has the goods to get this done. Wood is tough and game and I think he will make this eminently watchable. But when those late rounds arrive, I think Cacace’s battle-hardened tank will carry him through. I’ll take Cacace on points at 6/5, but I did give the Cacace in rounds 10-12 market a serious look. If you’re braver than me, you might fancy that punt.

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