The heartbreaking reason why Aussie boxer Sam Goodman’s world title shot is now OFF
- They were supposed to fight Japan’s Naoya Inoue
- Incident has led to the fight having to be postponed
- There is no guarantee that the fight will continue in the future
Sam Goodman’s highly anticipated world title fight against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue has been postponed after the Australian boxer suffered a training injury just days before the fight.
The 26-year-old suffered a large cut above his left eye during his final sparring session on Saturday, forcing his team to call off their Christmas Eve fight in Tokyo.
Goodman, undefeated in 19 fights, had been preparing to fight Inoue for the undisputed super bantamweight title, a fight that promised to be the biggest challenge of his career.
However, the injury occurred as he was completing an intense training camp.
Head coach Joel Keegan and manager Peter Mitrevski ultimately decided the risk was too great to continue.
“He would have been cut open again if he had been wearing 8-ounce gloves,” Mitrevski said.
Australian fighter Sam Goodman has had to postpone his world title shot after suffering a cut above his eye during training
When Goodman realized the severity of the situation, he let out several frustrated expletives
The injury required four stitches, with medical advice putting Goodman out of action for at least four weeks.
Despite Goodman’s insistence that he could still fight, his team decided that postponing the fight was the only option.
Footage from the sparring session captured the devastating moment Goodman realized the fight was over, with the fighter letting out an anguished expletive as blood poured from the wound.
Goodman’s promoter, Matt Rose of No Limit Boxing, confirmed that efforts are being made to reschedule the fight, but there is no guarantee that Inoue will agree to a postponement.
Inoue, undefeated with a 29-0 record, holds all the super bantamweight belts and has dominated the division in recent years.
Known as ‘The Monster’ for his knockout power, Inoue may choose to move on rather than wait for Goodman to recover.
The postponement is a crushing blow to Goodman, who had committed to a grueling training regimen in preparation for the fight.
The Australian, nicknamed ‘Mr. Mandatory’ had expressed confidence in his ability to dethrone Inoue.
Goodman would not have been able to recover in time, meaning any blow would have reopened the cut
“I’m not going there to hold out. I go there to win. That’s what my mind is looking at,” he said last month.
Goodman’s injury adds to a difficult year for Australian boxing.
Tim Tszyu suffered back-to-back losses in 2024, including a knockout defeat to Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. Queensland’s Liam Paro also lost his IBF junior welterweight title to American Richardson Hitchens last weekend.
Despite the setback, Goodman’s camp remains optimistic about his future in the sport.
“He’ll still be great,” Mitrevski said, also noting the importance of prioritizing the fighter’s health.
No Limit Boxing is yet to confirm a new date for the fight, but Goodman is determined to regroup and regain his title shot.
For now, Australian boxing’s hopes focus on Jai Opetaia, who will defend his IBF cruiserweight title against Huseyin Cinkara on January 8 on the Gold Coast.
Opetaia has been in dominant form, winning four fights since his breakthrough win over Mairis Briedis, and will look to inspire a resurgence in Australian boxing in 2025.