- He was scheduled to fight against the Japanese Naoya Inoue.
- The incident forced the fight to be postponed.
- There is no guarantee that the fight will take place in the future.
Sam Goodman’s highly anticipated world title fight against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue has been postponed after the Australian boxer suffered an injury in training just days before the fight.
The 26-year-old suffered a significant cut above his left eye during their final sparring session on Saturday, forcing his team to cancel their Christmas Eve fight in Tokyo.
Goodman, undefeated in 19 fights, had been preparing to face Inoue for the undisputed super bantamweight title, a fight that promised to be the biggest challenge of his career.
However, the injury occurred when he was finishing an intense training camp.
Coach Joel Keegan and coach Peter Mitrevski ultimately decided the risk was too great to continue.
“They would have opened it again if I had worn eight-ounce gloves,” Mitrevski said.
Australian wrestler Sam Goodman has been forced to postpone his world title shot after suffering a cut above his eye during training.
When Goodman realized the seriousness of the situation, he let out several frustrated expletives.
The injury required four stitches and medical advice ruled Goodman out for at least four weeks.
Despite Goodman’s insistence that he could still fight, his team determined that postponing the fight was the only option.
Footage of the sparring session captured the devastating moment when Goodman realized the fight was over, and the fighter let 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 Inoue will agree to a delay.
Inoue, undefeated with a record of 29-0, holds every super bantamweight belt 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 blow to Goodman, who had dedicated himself 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 opened the cut again.
‘I’m not going in there to last. I’m going in there to win. “That’s where my head is 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 loss to Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. Queensland’s Liam Paro also lost his IBF junior welterweight title last weekend to American Richardson Hitchens.
Despite the setback, Goodman’s team remains optimistic about their future in the sport.
“He’ll still be great,” Mitrevski said, also noting the importance of prioritizing the fighter’s health.
No Limit Boxing has yet to confirm a new date for the fight, but Goodman is determined to regroup and get his title shot back.
For now, Australian boxing’s hopes are centered on Jai Opetaia, who is scheduled to defend his IBF cruiserweight title on January 8 against Huseyin Cinkara on the Gold Coast.
Opetaia has been in dominant form, winning four fights since her big win over Mairis Briedis, and will look to inspire a resurgence of Australian boxing in 2025.