It was an incredible showing from the 35-year-old ‘Andytown Apache’, who shocked everyone outside of Belfast boxing circles as he rose to the occasion like never before. Going into the fight, the feeling was that he needed to set an uncomfortable pace for the Welshman, who was said to be struggling to make the 130lb limit, and he did just that, landing over two punches to Cordina’s one when the final fight stats were revealed. That he managed such a display was remarkable and backed up his pre-fight statement that he was there to leave it all in the ring.
A naturally humble and quiet man, Cacace will return home on Monday morning as his city’s latest boxing hero and, although deeply proud of his Andersonstown roots, insists this is for everyone in his home town. “Belfast, the best city in the world, and I love everybody in it,” he told IFL’s Colm McGuigan. “I’m buzzing, can’t begin to tell you how happy I am.
“I’m just so happy, not just for me, but my family and everyone who’s taken the trip out here to spend their hard-earned money to support me. “I just want to get home now and see them (family), spend a few weeks with them, just relaxing. It’s all going to be worth it when I see the results of it.
” After a competitive opening couple of rounds, Cacace made the first big dent in the third, buzzing Cordina with a right that had the Cardiff native in all sorts of bother, and the ‘Apache’ pounced, launching a huge right uppercut followed by .