Cacace–Warrington: Fight Proceeds Without IBF Belt
Anthony Cacace defeated Josh Warrington by unanimous decision over 12 rounds at Wembley Stadium on September 21, 2024, retaining his IBO super-featherweight title. The IBF belt was not at stake because Warrington was unranked by the organization at 130 pounds, as The Ring reported before the bout. Cacace vacated the IBF title in January 2025 and won the WBA super-featherweight title in March 2026, according to BBC Sport.
The Title Situation
Cacace entered the bout as the IBF and IBO super-featherweight champion after stopping Joe Cordina in May 2024. The IBF allowed the Wembley matchup as a non-title contest because Warrington was not ranked at super-featherweight. Warrington was moving up from featherweight, where he had held a world title.
The IBO belt was on the line, and Cacace kept it with a clear points win. The Ring reported that the three judges scored the 12-round contest unanimously for Cacace. The IBF title remained subject to a separate mandatory obligation to Eduardo Nunez.
Stakes and Stipulations
The IBF’s pre-fight ruling set out different outcomes: a Cacace defeat would make its title vacant, while a win would require him to face mandatory challenger Eduardo Nunez by March 20, 2025. Cacace won at Wembley, but he vacated the IBF belt on January 31, 2025 rather than proceed with that defense. The title was then available for Nunez to contest.
- IBO title: Cacace defended and retained the IBO super-featherweight belt against Warrington.
- IBF title: It was not contested at Wembley and was later vacated by Cacace in January 2025.
- Later title: In March 2026, Cacace won the WBA super-featherweight title by unanimous decision over Jazza Dickens in Dublin.
Fighter Perspectives
Before the fight, Cacace had voiced frustration that his IBF belt would not be on the line. The eventual result gave him a successful IBO defense, while the IBF championship remained governed by its separate mandatory ruling. Warrington, a former featherweight champion, was seeking a fresh run at super-featherweight after losses to Leigh Wood and Luis Alberto Lopez.
The bout went the full 12 rounds, with Cacace earning the judges’ unanimous decision. The result became one step in a longer title timeline: he later vacated the IBF belt, stopped Leigh Wood in 2025, and returned to world-title status by defeating Dickens for the WBA belt in 2026.
The Bigger Picture
Cacace–Warrington featured on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. Its title arrangement showed that a boxer can retain one championship in the ring while a different sanctioning body’s title follows its own ranking and mandatory rules.
Cacace’s career has continued beyond the 2024 Wembley bout. The Belfast boxer later added the WBA super-featherweight title by beating Jazza Dickens on March 14, 2026, according to BBC Sport. Warrington’s challenge at Wembley remains a unanimous-decision loss and Cacace’s successful defense of the IBO title.
Citations:
[1] Yahoo Sports — Why the IBF title was not at stake
[2] The Ring — Cacace vs. Warrington set as a non-title fight
[3] TNT Fight Sports — Cacace vs. Warrington face-off
[4] BoxingScene — IBF ruling on Cacace vs. Warrington
[5] Belfast Media — IBF title not on the line at Wembley
[6] The Ring — Cacace relinquishes the IBF belt
[7] BBC Sport — Cacace’s 2026 WBA title win
Sources
Tags: Boxing
