Belfast’s world champion Anthony Cacace hints at potential Vasiliy Lomachenko fight after outpointing Josh Warrington

A cut to the back of the head and to his left eye that was also swollen during their gruelling 12 rounds were additional souvenirs of the night. But victory was what he came to London for and victory is what he got.

The scorecards were wide but the rounds were not easily won. Although Warrington was second best, he remained competitive throughout.

But it's Cacace who is riding the crest of a wave and he carried the air of confidence that becoming world champion brings.

That knowhow got him through this test and he admitted the chat of an all-out war in the build-up was more a salesman's pitch than any real threat as he was not prepared to play the Leeds battler's game.

"It wasn't an above par performance, but I got the win and that's the most important thing," he said.

"Josh Warrington is a two-time world champion, very smart and has very good people around him who know what they're doing, but I got the win and it's winner stays on.

"He was very strong and that head, he cut me on the top of the eye and cut my eye, but I'm not going to complain too much.

"The rounds were even enough. People were talking war and all off that, but it was never going to be that way. I said it but it was all about building up the fight - the tactics were the tactics.

"He was strong and the only way to beat that guy is to box him. Micky Hawkins was saying that to me and I should have listened to him a bit more."

There was a slip in the 12th round when it appeared Cacace had perhaps rolled his ankle and appeared to be moving a little gingerly, but he said it was more to do with the condition of the ring that resembled an ice rink in parts.

He got through that and also managed to ensure Warrington wouldn't gather a head of steam in the fight. Although he was tested, it also felt comfortable.

"I'm over 25 years in this game but I know how to spoil a fight," he stressed.

"Those small, stocky fighters I've fought my whole life. I'm tall, big range and skinny. I felt in control the whole time. The rounds were nip and tuck and I wasn't sure we were winning them - but the judges did.

"I was trying to avoid the centre of the ring as it was the slippiest ring I've ever been on. You genuinely couldn't move, so that had a big part to play."

The cuts, bumps and bruises will ensure that's a wrap for 2024 for Cacace who will reflect on a year like no other, winning the world title in Saudi Arabia and then scoring victory at Wembley.

Eduardo Nunez is his mandatory challenger and in the build-up, promoter Frank Warren said he hopes to do that fight in Belfast, but the man from West Belfast believes he has options that he couldn't have envisioned in his wildest dreams at the beginning of the year.

Nunez is next, but if an attractive offer came to step up to lightweight then he would certainly consider it.

"I feel like I belong here now," he offered.

"I've 'Sugar' Nunez as my mandatory, but do I move up and be the mandatory for Lomachenko or fight 'Tank' Davis?

"These are all real things and it blows my mind even mentioning their names because a year and a half ago, I was a wee fart on the wind. Now, I'm here and doing everyone in Belfast - west, north, south and east - Ireland and Italy proud and that means the world to me.

"I won't fight again this side of Christmas because I need 90 days for the cut to heal, but a win 's a win and we march on.

"It was a blow par performance but the night, everyone is happy - Micky Hawkins Sir and Michael Junior, Barry O'Neill, Andy O'Neill and Ruairi Dalton. They are all good people who just want to see me do well and I feel that."

The IBF title wasn't officially on the line, but defeat would have seen Cacace stripped of the title and that was never looking likely through the 12 rounds he controlled to win on a wide unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-111).

The all out-war these fighters vowed to deliver didn't transpire as Warrington perhaps found he had bitten off more than he could chew with the move into the 130lb class, delivering a few flashes of his all-action best, but nowhere near enough as this fight got away from him after a decent start.

Cacace was just bigger, stronger and better on the night and at no time looked in any danger with his own power more of a factor.

As suspected, the early exchanges were cagey with both flicking out jabs to establish their range, but it began to settle with Warrington just off target with a left hook and Cacace then getting through with a left of his own which snapped the challenger's head back.

It was heating up further in the second as Warrington began to press a little more, targeting the body of the Belfast man and finished a good flurry with a right hand.

A fight on the inside was certainly benefitting the Leeds man as he managed to chop downstairs and tie up Cacace who was looking for that bit of separation to use his long levers.

The fourth was when Cacace made the breakthrough as he got through with a couple of hard right hands that appeared to momentarily shake Warrington who was keen to cover up, but did retaliate downstairs again and this was clearly his plan. But the uppercut which was such a Cacace weapon against Joe Cordina was also in the locker as he tried to detonate up close, beginning to switch between orthodox to southpaw and back.

That appeared to give the West Belfast man the belief he had the power to trouble and his strength was apparent in the following round, again landing heavily and then manhandling Warrington who was looking to tie him up.

But Warrington was still very much in the hunt as he continued to work the body and try to tie Cacace up and then land, but had to take a right uppercut on the way in.

As we moved into the second half, it seemed Warrington had much to do to flip it his was as although he was competitive, the better work was coming from Cacace who was getting the better of the rounds and in the seventh, it was the Belfast man in full control.

It was getting a little untidy at times as they had to be separated on a number of occasions in the eighth as Cacace was unable to follow-up when getting into a flow as he was tied up and it was same again in nine.

It was becoming a gruelling battle, not in terms of a high pace, but with so much grappling and perhaps this was suiting the naturally bigger man in Cacace.

Warrington's all-action style was not coming to the fore, perhaps mindful of what would come his way if he left the door ajar and this would see him tagged with another big uppercut late in the 10th as he sought to up the pace.

Into the championship rounds and it was certainly Cacace's to lose as the sense was he had built an unassailable lead on the cards. Warrington had to know this as he had to go for it but continued to be picked off and stopped in his tracks when he tried to get anything going.

Warrington had to go for it in the last and he threw what he had, winning the round but unable to find anything spectacular as he touched down from a Cacace right hand but was ruled a slip. Cacace was on his way to victory and he knew it, seeing out the closing moments despite a slip of his own that seemed to leave a twinge in the ankle, but there was no disputing the victor as his reign continues.