The WBA's Belt Shuffle Behind Cacace vs Ball in Belfast

The WBA has published a resolution untangling the mess around Anthony Cacace's December 19 super featherweight defense against Nick Ball in Belfast, and it's exactly the kind of sanctioning-body gymnastics you'd expect. Cacace (25-1, 9 KO), who lifted the belt off Jazza Dickens by unanimous decision in March, will now be bumped into a revived 'super' champion slot so the Ball fight can go ahead. Meanwhile, secondary titlist Elnur Samedov (22-1, 11 KO) gets upgraded from 'regular' to full world champion.

Here's the wrinkle that forced the reshuffle. Queensberry had actually tried to make Cacace vs Samedov in Northern Ireland, but the British Boxing Board of Control blocked Samedov from competing in the UK. The Board reviewed documentation tied to his citizenship and residency and upheld the rejection, and negotiations between the promoters were suspended. Samedov was born in Azerbaijan but lives and fights out of Russia — a passport that hasn't opened many doors lately.

What the Order Actually Says

So Cacace keeps Ball (23-1-1, 13 KO) as his December opponent, but the WBA has attached strings. He'll still be obligated to face Samedov afterward, and the sanctioning body wants that fight in neutral territory, at a venue everyone signs off on, with a date decided by its Championships Committee. Translation: a lot of moving parts and plenty of room for something to fall apart.

It's worth remembering how Cacace operated with his old IBF belt. He leaned into big-money domestic fights and sidestepped the mandatory picture until it was time to hand the strap back. This time, at least on paper, he didn't dodge — the UK block on Samedov is what killed the original plan, not Cacace ducking out.

The Ball matchup is the one fans actually want. Ball is a live wire at the weight and brings real pressure, and a Belfast crowd behind Cacace makes it a proper event. That's where the value is for a 37-year-old fighter with limited nights left.

Given his age and his history of prioritizing marquee bouts over paperwork, don't be stunned if Cacace eventually vacates rather than trekking to neutral ground for Samedov. He beat Dickens, he's got Ball in front of him, and the last chapter of a career like his tends to be written on the biggest stages — not in a WBA committee memo.