What next for Anthony Cacace? Three potential opponents following Jazza Dickens triumph

Anthony Cacace is angling for a major opportunity after dethroning Jazza Dickens to become a two-time world super-featherweight champion last Saturday, and we assess three potential next opponents for the Northern Irishman.

The 37-year-old has had quite the Indian summer, defeating Joe Cordina, Josh Warrington, Leigh Wood and now Dickens, who gave a titanic effort but lost unanimously on the cards at Dublin’s 3Arena.

Naturally, Cacace is now sniffing around for a unification match at 130lbs, hoping to extend his purple patch and become one of Belfast’s greatest-ever champions.

After claiming his WBA title against Dickens, Cacace insisted he had been hampered by a hand injury in training, but promised to produce a better performance in his next outing.

It is therefore worth considering who this next assignment could be against, and whether a fully-fit Cacace has what it takes to emerge triumphant.

Who could Anthony Cacace fight next?

Emanuel Navarrete

Cacace called out Emanuel Navarrete immediately after his victory over Dickens, believing he is capable of dethroning the IBF and WBO champion.

The Mexican unified his division towards the end of last month, reminding fans of his world-class ability by claiming a dominant 11th-round stoppage victory over Eduardo Nunez.

Since then, though, it has been confirmed by the WBO that Navarrete must face Charly Suarez next, with both parties being given 20 days - as of last Thursday - to negotiate a deal.

The 31-year-old could, of course, vacate his WBO title in pursuit of a more lucrative clash with Cacace, but the general feeling is that his rematch with Suarez will ultimately come to fruition.

That said, a showdown between Navarrete and Cacace would certainly captivate their respective fanbases, making for a brutal chess match between two crafty technicians who carry serious power.

O’Shaquie Foster

Cacace’s only other shot at becoming a unified champion could arrive against O’Shaquie Foster, whose last performance saw him outfox, outwork and outman Stephen Fulton in December.

This points victory followed a string of similarly impressive displays against the likes of Rey Vargas, Eduardo Hernandez and Robson Conceicao, who Foster outpointed in 2024 after controversially losing his WBC title to the Brazilian earlier that year.

In terms of his style, the American could perhaps best be described as a versatile boxer-puncher: he can put on a classy display but also overcome a battle of attrition in the trenches.

The same, to some extent, could be said for Cacace, though it must be noted that Foster has consistently proven his quality against a higher standard of opposition.

For that reason, the WBC champion would likely be given a slight edge if they ever lock horns, yet their super-featherweight encounter nonetheless represents a mouth-watering possibility.

Ryan Garner

While Cacace made it clear in his post-fight interview that he would rather chase the champions, a title defence against Ryan Garner could materialise if Navarrete and Foster prove difficult to pin down.

The Southampton man is, after all, targeting a showdown at St Mary’s Stadium this summer, but is unlikely to make his dream a reality unless he manages to secure a world title opportunity.

An in-house fight between Cacace and Garner - both promoted by Queensberry - could therefore make a great deal of sense, especially while the WBA champion awaits his unification match.

Garner has crafted an unbeaten record but is yet to test himself at world level, despite having mopped up the domestic scene with wins over Reece Bellotti, Archie Sharp and Liam Dillon.

Against Cacace, we would certainly find out just how talented ‘The Piranha’ really is.