Belfast's Cacace Beats Wood With Ninth-round Tko

Belfast's Anthony Cacace retained his IBO super-featherweight title pinch a ninth-round stoppage of Leigh Wood astatine Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena connected Saturday.

It was a gripping conflict which appeared connected a knife-edge until Cacace made nan large breakthrough and he was successful nary temper to fto nan location favourite disconnected nan hook.

Wood is noted for his powers of recovery, highlighted by his singular come-from-behind triumph complete Michael Conlan 3 years agone successful nan aforesaid venue, but this clip it was beyond him pinch Cacace ruthlessly closing nan show arsenic Wood's area threw nan towel conscionable arsenic it seemed referee John Latham was astir to activity it off.

After nan victory, nan 36-year-old's grounds now stands astatine 24 wins and 1 conclusion from 25 fights.

Wood began confidently disconnected nan jab arsenic he sought to asseverate himself, but was snapped backmost connected a mates of occasions from Cacace's correct hands and again towards nan extremity of nan opener arsenic location was a consciousness that either man could onshore thing decisive.

Neither could spend to get reckless arsenic location was clear respect betwixt nan pair, but Wood walked into a correct manus successful nan 2nd which made him deliberation doubly but did get his champion changeable disconnected correct successful nan dying seconds arsenic he recovered a location for his ain correct manus which brought a respectful motion from Cacace.

They landed simultaneously successful nan 3rd earlier Cacace appeared to make nan first spot of a dent arsenic he sewage done pinch 1 of his trademark uppercuts and aft concisely switching to southpaw, thumped location a near manus which seemed to thrust Wood back, but past was caught precocious successful nan information erstwhile missing nan target and was punished by a counter.

There was an aerial of hostility arsenic nan conflict proceeded pinch neither getting excessively greedy, though Wood enjoyed a bully 4th arsenic he recovered his scope that spot more.

It remained connected a knife-edge successful nan 5th pinch Cacace making a bully commencement arsenic his stiff jab was rocking Wood's caput back, but nan Nottingham man responded good to person his ain occurrence pinch Cacace again switching stances.

Heading into nan 2nd half of nan fight, Cacace possibly had grabbed immoderate momentum pinch a bully sixth information arsenic he sewage done pinch different of those uppercuts and seemed to beryllium opening up by putting punches together, but was caught successful nan seventh erstwhile switching stances.

Early successful nan eighth, Cacace suffered a setback pinch humor opening to move from nan chemoreceptor and Wood sensed he whitethorn beryllium making a breakthrough of his own, but was made to eat a coagulated near up adjacent arsenic they began to waste and acquisition precocious on.

Wood sought a accelerated commencement to nan ninth but it proved his undoing as, possibly getting a small excessively excited, he near himself exposed and Cacace pounced and sent location a correct manus which appeared to person a delayed guidance arsenic Wood stumbled backwards and pinch nan ropes keeping him up, referee Latham gave nan count.

Cacace wasn't letting him disconnected nan hook arsenic he meticulously collapsed his resistance, thudding location immoderate shots and nan towel came successful from his area aft 2.15 of nan information to prevention him from an inevitable KO.

Earlier successful nan night, Lisburn's Kurt Walker tasted conclusion for nan first clip arsenic he fell to a points conclusion against Liam Davies successful their conflict for nan vacant IBF International featherweight title.

The scorecards publication 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112 successful favour of Davies who was returning to action for nan first clip since his ain maiden conclusion erstwhile out-pointed by Shabaz Masoud past November astatine super-bantamweight.

This time, he managed to get nan occupation done successful a adjacent title wherever possibly he conscionable seemed to beryllium getting nan amended of it contempt a bully last push from Walker.