THE Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham does not hold fond memories for local fight fans, but Anthony Cacace can once again become the Belfast avenger when he steps through the ropes to face Leigh Wood on Saturday (live on DAZN from 7pm).

Three years ago, Michael Conlan seemed on course to dethrone the then-WBA featherweight champion, but ‘Leigh-thal’ would somehow ride the storm and produce the big finish to retain his title and break Belfast hearts.

Cacace is determined not to suffer the same fate and maintain his Indian summer for another while longer and the good news for his travelling support is that he has previous for making up for the disappointments suffered by fellow city men.

Last time out at Wembley Stadium, Cacace got the better of Josh Warrington, who had handed defeats to Carl Frampton and Martin Lindsay earlier in his career, but the ‘Andytown Apache’ proved to big, strong and clever to fall into the same trap.

Warrington was up in the super-featherweight division for the first time and it’s the same story for Wood this week as the Nottingham man returns to action for the first time since October 2023 when he enjoyed his own win over Warrington to hold onto his featherweight crown he had lost and regained in two fights with Mauricio Lara in-between the Conlan fight-of-the-year contender.

Both 36-year-olds are well aware that defeat could well see them face the exit door and for two men who have grit and resilience in abundance, that sets it up for a huge battle this Saturday with Cacace’s IBO title on offer, having opted to ditch the IBF world title in order to step into the lion’s den.

“We are both very resilient fighters and I think it will come down to who breaks first,” Cacace predicts. 

“I genuinely believe I have the punch power and heart to beat him, but I’m just leaving it in God’s hands from here as what’s for me won’t go past me.

“He is a great fighter and I’ll take nothing away from him, but I’m going in there with 8,000 people on my back and I’ve never had to deal with that before, so God knows how I’ll react to all that. I don’t think I will react too badly, to be honest.”

Cacace will have his fans in attendance, but they will be outnumbered by the passionate home support which will turn the arena into a cauldron.

The West Belfast man is grateful for those who are making the trip, which could number upwards of 1000, and is proud to represent his community in the process.

That support has buoyed him as the ‘Andytown Apache’ went from unknown to local treasure in the space of one night following his victory over Joe Cordina 12 months ago, which saw him seize his big chance to become champion of the world.

A naturally quiet man, Cacace suddenly became a household name but celebrity does not interest him and this humble, underdog outlook has brought him to this point.

But there was no resting on laurels in this camp as he is only too aware of the challenge that lies ahead.

Wood is a tough nut to crack, but with three defeats in his 31-fight career, it’s far from mission impossible and Cacace has the power to trouble the home fighter.

In the build-up to his win against Warrington, many predicted an all-out war, which didn’t come to pass as Cacace used his strength and size to control matters.

It could be the same again this week, but then there is every chance this one could explode.

“I had a couple of mental breakdowns as I do with every camp, but everything has gone to plan,” he said with a laugh.

“I genuinely have never trained as hard and I know everyone says that, but each camp I outdo myself and this time it’s been no different.

“Wood is a hungry fighter and I would say this is the hardest one to date. Regardless of boxing ability, Wood has the biggest set of balls and he’s the biggest puncher (I’ve faced). There is a chance I could get hurt here and that is motivating me. I genuinely believe this is my toughest fight by a mile.”

That is not just a statement intended to hype a fight as Wood is certainly no pushover but the recent run of form has coincided with a return to his boxing roots at Holy Trinity, linking up with Michael Hawkins Snr, Michael Jnr and Barry O’Neill as coaches, with Ruairi Dalton also part of the team.

The Hawkins family have been dealing with the recent passing of Chloée-Louise Hawkins-Heaney - granddaughter Michael and niece of Michael Jnr - with Cacace acknowledging how tough it has been for the clan.

Fighter and team are a close-knit group and they have enjoyed a glorious 12 months. They have another big night on their hands, but are riding the crest of a wave and have plenty of hope they can continue that for another while. 

“I’m approaching this one as if it’s one of my last (fights), so I want to finish my career on a high by wiping out the entire division,” Cacace added.

“We’ll see how this one goes and if it goes to plan, we’ll see what happens after that.”