James Dickens to Defend WBA Title Against Anthony Cacace in Dublin

James Dickens will defend his WBA super featherweight title away from home when he meets Anthony Cacace in Dublin on March 14.

Dickens enters the fight as the champion but not the favourite. The setting plays a part, with the bout taking place in Ireland, but the dynamic also reflects how his career has unfolded. He has spent much of it operating from the outside, earning opportunities rather than being positioned for them.

That role has followed him even after claiming a world title. Dickens said this week that being cast as the underdog no longer registers with him and that he is comfortable fighting in unfamiliar territory. He described the occasion as familiar rather than hostile, pointing to past experiences competing away from Liverpool.

Cacace arrives following his best run at the weight. The Belfast fighter has not lost since 2017 and has built his recent standing against established opposition. Wins over Leigh Wood, Josh Warrington and Joe Cordina have shifted how he is viewed within the division. At 36, he is older than many recent champions, but his most recent performances have been among the strongest of his career.

Both fighters struck a similar tone during their public appearances. There was little effort to manufacture tension or sell the fight through prediction. The focus stayed on preparation and the level of resistance each expects to face. Cacace acknowledged Dickens’ status as a reigning champion and said the matchup represents the most demanding assignment of his career so far.

The event marks a return to Dublin for a major boxing card and is being promoted by Queensberry. In addition to the main event, the card includes two IBO title fights and several Irish fighters further down the bill, including Pierce O’Leary and Jono Carroll. Two amateur standouts, Adam Olaniyan and Bobbi Flood, are also scheduled to make their professional debuts.

For Cacace, it is an opportunity to add another belt and continue a late career surge, though neither fighter leaned heavily on predictions and both kept the focus on the work rather than the talk.

The bout will stream on DAZN.