Newly-minted IBF super featherweight champion Anthony ‘The Apache’ Cacace 22-1 (8) is open to a rematch with Joe Cordina 17-1 (9) – providing the money is right.
Irish southpaw Cacace, 35, defeated the former champion by eighth-round knockout on the undercard of the undisputed heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Cacace was considered a sizeable underdog going in to the bout, but he proved he was there to win when he dropped Welshman Cordina, 32, in the third round and kept up the pressure to force the stoppage at 0:39 of the eighth.
“This is a shock to people,” Cacace said to iFL TV. “I was a four to one underdog with the bookies. Nobody believed in me but I believed in me and everyone about me believed in me.
“I’m just so happy, not just for me, but for my family, for everyone who has spent their hard earned money to get here and support me.
“I appreciate everyone. I couldn’t have done this on my own.
“I just want to get home and see [my family]. I can’t wait to get home and spend a few weeks with them.”
As for a rematch, Cacace would like to see it take place back in Saudi Arabia where the purses far exceed anywhere else in the world.
“It all depends where the dough is at,” he said. “Let’s go back to Saudi. There’s no point going anywhere else.
“This is where big time boxing is. Let’s get back here. Whenever these big shows are here, I want to be part of them.”
Cacace was pleased with his performance and said the game plan his team had come up with worked to a tee.
“I’m going to give Joe his props, he’s a very, very good fighter, a two-time world champion, an Olympian,” he said.
“Tonight was my night. I didn’t feel like I was having any problems. We had a great game plan. We’ve been working on turning the hooks in and gritting it out.
“Everything we worked on came off. Body shots, hooks, everything, and I got him out of there in devastating fashion.”
Cordina left the ring without an interview but before the fight he flagged his plans to move up to lightweight to challenge IBF 135-pound champion Vasiliy Lomachenko 18-3 (12).
“I’d love to have that fight,” said Cordina. “I grew up watching him. All my footwork, why I was so good in the amateurs was down to him. He would be a massive opportunity for me. I would love to share the ring with him.
“I wouldn’t be overawed by him. I’d be going in there to try to take his chin clean off. He’s an unbelievable fighter and one of the best to ever do it. I’d love to share the ring with him. He’s a great fighter, an all time great.”
