A Defeat So Devastating, Boxing Fans Are Calling It “Upset of the Year” as Anthony Cacace Beats Joe Cordina In Controversial Fight

This was his last shot at glory at 35. And the fighter from Belfast didn’t disappoint. Anthony Cacace had the fight of his career when he showed up against Welsh champion, Joe Cordina at the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury fight undercard. The stakes couldn’t have been higher with the IBF and IBO super featherweight straps on the line. But it was the challenger who rose to the occasion and left the arena with the titles.

While Cacace didn’t possess the one-punch power of Cordina, he broke down the champion with every punch and shot thrown. He brought the fight to Cordina and left him with no option but to defend until the referee had to step in and raise Cacace’s hand. However, the fight wasn’t without its controversial moments.

A breach in the rule that got everyone talking

Cacace employed jabs in the first rounds and put the peddle on the gas to secure the first round with his guard-piercing precise shots. But Cordina fought back in the second round as he assumed the aggressor’s role. The tide turned in the third round when Cacace had him on the ropes after setting him up with jabs and a body shot. While the referee tried to separate the two from a clinch, Cacace connected a clean hit on Cordina. The rules state that you can’t hit on a break, and with the referee’s discretion, a point could have been deducted from Cacace’s scores.

The controversial moment shifted the fight’s momentum, with Cacace ultimately finishing the job in round eight. But even that moment wasn’t without muted concerns, as the referee stopped the action while Cordina was still in motion with his guards up. The champion didn’t protest the decision, as he wasn’t able to defend effectively. However, the fans saw it otherwise.

How did the fans react to the upset at the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury card?

Notably, Cordina was undefeated coming into the fight and was the favorite to defend the belt. However, the manner in which Cacace dismantled the incumbent champion led one fan into calling it the “Upset of the year.”

Likewise, few had given Cacace the chance to bag the win as he was the older boxer in the ring, fighting for a world title for the first time at 35. Therefore, user labeled it a “Massive upset.”

However, someone lauded Cacace’s performance but pointed out that people would point out the odd late shot in the third round to sour his celebrations.

A comment called out the shabby officiating as they believed that Cordina had total control of the fight until Cacace landed a clean but “cheap shot” on Cordina’s chin that shifted the moment and Cordina couldn’t recover from it.

Lastly, another fan expressed that Cordina deserved to win but due to bad officiating and factors external to him, he couldn’t. They declared, “Cordina got done over!!”

What do you think of this fight between Joe Cordina and Anthony Cacace at the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury undercard? Do you believe the two need to run it back soon? Let us know in the comments below.