Stundents of the Old School – Jazza Dickens Says He and Anthony Cacace Build Was About ‘ Integrity, Respect and Honour”
Jazza Dickens believes boxing is losing something important – but he’s determined to keep the old-school values alive when he fights Anthony Cacace in Dublin this weekend.
The Liverpool fighter puts his WBA super featherweight world title on the line against the Belfast talent at the 3 Arena on Saturday.
The Champion has held himself well throughout the build-up and goes into the fight insisting respect between opponents should still be central to the sport, even in an era where controversy and insults often dominate fight promotion.
Dickens and ‘The Apache’ have been respectful throughout and ensured it remained that way throughout fight week. It’s an approach Dickens believes represents boxing the way it should be.
For the title holder, the sport was always about respect first, violence second.
“Of course we respect each other,” he said when speaking to Irish-boxing.com.
“That’s boxing, isn’t it? That’s the old boxing. The boxing we knew years ago. We respect each other, shake hands, go in there and throw down, and then shake hands again afterwards.
“If me and Anto started pushing each other and shouting bad things at each other we’d get more views, wouldn’t we?” he said.
“But that’s not boxing to me. Where’s the integrity? Where’s the respect? Where’s the honour?”
While acknowledging that trash talk can attract attention and sell fights, Dickens admits it simply isn’t part of who he is.
“I understand how people generate more views by acting like a prick,” he added candidly.
“But that’s just not me.”
Instead, Dickens believes the value of respect in boxing becomes clearer with maturity.
“You look back on it and I think that stuff grows with age,” he said.
“You start to appreciate integrity more.”
That’s why he was pleased that his dealings with the former IBF world champion have remained respectful despite the huge stakes attached to the fight.
The two fighters may share mutual admiration outside the ring, but Dickens insists that will disappear once the opening bell rings.
“Both of us are going to try and do a job in there,” he said.
The approach has earned the Liverpudlian the respect of Irish fight fans, although his connection with Dublin goes further back than fight week.
“When the fight was offered and I saw Dublin on it, I just thought ‘yes’ straight away,” Dickens explained.
“It was an immediate yes.”
The emotional connection dates back to his time living in Ireland earlier in his career.
During that period, Dickens saw first-hand the passion Irish fans have for boxing and always felt the city had the potential to host major events.
“When I was here before, boxing had all the ingredients,” he said.
“But they never had the promoter bringing the big shows.”
Now things have changed.
“I’m just happy it’s back for Dublin as well,” he said.
“To be the main man fighting for a world title here… it’s amazing.
“I’m grateful, honoured and privileged. Hopefully someone can run with it and keep staging boxing here,” he said.
“Because it deserves it.”
