Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn said he is disappointed Anthony Cacace will likely take on Leigh Wood next instead of facing his fighter, Eduardo 'Sugar' Nunez.

The Mexican is mandatory for Cacace's IBF super-featherweight title and agreed to step aside in September in order to allow Cacace to face Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium with the understanding he would be next up.

However, Cacace has always insisted his next move will be dictated by what makes financial sense as he looks to make up for a lot of lost time in his career and secure his family's future.

Should his next move, as expected, be Wood at the City Ground, then it would mean he will be stripped of the IBF title and Nunez will face the next ranked contender for the vacant strap.

It's not the situation Hearn was hoping for and he still hopes Cacace will take on his man.

"I'm very disappointed with the whole situation," he said.

"Cacace against Nunez is a bloodbath of a fight. I rate Nunez so highly, but it's not an easy fight. If you do it in Belfast, it's a 50-50  and one of the best you can make, as I rate Cacace.

"I know Anto has got to do the right thing for his career and family, but I hate seeing fighters vacate belts. If it's because of someone you just can't beat, then I get it. But winning the world title was so massive for Anto, so don't give it away. 

"He did great against Cordina, had the payday against Warrington and will get paid a lot to fight Nunez, so roll the dice. If you win that fight, all of a sudden this is when you get a massive payday in a huge unification. It's not against Anto, but it's just disappointing as he is such a brilliant fighter."

Hearn believes that Cacace will enter a fight against Wood - who is now a free agent having left Matchroom -  as favourite despite the Belfast man going on the road once again.

Much of that is down to the fact that the former WBA featherweight champion has been inactive since his win over Josh Warrington in October 2023 and also owing to the fact he is moving up in weight to face his fellow 36-year-old.

"Leigh Wood is a big puncher and a very good fighter, but once you've been out of the ring for a year and are getting on anyway, it's tough," he opined.

"It's a great fight but will Cacace earn significantly more for this than fighting Nunez? I don't think so."