Anthony Cacace is reportedly expected to relinquish his IBF super featherweight title to fight Leigh Wood. The IBF belt will be vacant #1 Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs) and #3 Masanori Rikiish (16-1, 11 KOs) to fight.

It makes sense for the 35-year-old Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) to vacate the IBF title against Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) because it’s a fight that will pay off. Good for Anthony.

Nunez’s Moment to Shine?

Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez is looking impressive, knocking out his last 17 opponents since losing to Hiram Gallardo by sixth decision in June 20018. In Nunez’s last four fights, he has defeated Miguel Marriaga, Oscar Escandon, Jesus Martin Ceyca, and Willmank Canonico Brito.

It’s hard to tell just how good eight-time champion Rikiish, 30, is because he’s battled against unknown opponents throughout his career in Japan. He has lost once as a pro, but has been fighting under the radar against opponents most fans have never heard of. That is not a good sign.

Low Chance of Success

The 13-year-old Cacace’s chances of winning against ‘Sugar’ Nunez would be slim due to the strength, youth, and brutality of the Mexican fighter. It wouldn’t have been Cacace’s biggest payday going up against Nunez, and the outcome would have been bad for him.

Last year, Cacace defeated IBF 130-lb champion Joe Cordina, destroying him in eight rounds on May 18th in Riyadh. The fight was not very close, as Cacace was faster and more busy with the heavier Cordina in the competition. Cacace dropped Cordina in the third round, and it looked like he never recovered.

In Cacace’s last fight, he defeated former featherweight champion Josh Warrington by a unanimous 12th decision on September 21 on the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois undercard at Wembley Stadium in London.

I looked at the fight, and it seemed like Cacace took it easy on Warrington, being in the second gear the whole race and not giving him the same drug as Cordina in his last fight. If that’s what the game was about, it was kind on Cacace’s part because Warrington looked completely fired. He would have folded like a cheap suit if Cacace chased him like he did Cordina all night.

“With Anthony Cacace expected to relinquish his IBF belt to fight former champion Leigh Wood, the super-featherweight belt is expected to go up against top-ranked Eduardo Nunez and Japan’s No. 3 Masanori Rikiishi, I’m told,” said Lance Pugmire. X.