Sam Goodman ‘100 Percent’ Wants To Fight Naoya Inoue Next But Is Staying Patient
Super-bantamweight contender Sam Goodman says he plans to fight one more time this year and “100 percent” hopes it’s against undisputed champion Naoya Inoue.
Goodman (19-0-0 8 KO) had been expected to be Inoue’s next opponent after the Australian joined the Japanese star in the ring following his victory two months ago over Luis Nery in Tokyo.
However, as Goodman reveals, there were never any negotiations underway to face Inoue, who will make the second defense of his four titles against TJ Doheny in September.
Aiming to keep himself in contention for a shot at the champion, Goodman took a risky fight against the dangerous Thai Thachtana Luangphon earlier this month and secured an impressive points victory, despite damaging his hand quite early in the bout.
While he rests and recovers his hand, Goodman is already looking ahead to his return to the ring, and his priority is to face Inoue, although much could depend on how tough the Japanese fighter’s outing against Dohney goes.
Goodman Hopeful Of Inoue Shot
“It’s definitely going to be one more fight this year and we will see what happens with how things play out, and it depends on the hand,” Goodman said in an interview with BoxingScene. “If there’s no hiccups, the hand should be right in another four-five weeks. I can start to get back into the swing of things.
“You’d like to think so [it will be Inoue he fights], 100 percent. That’s the one you want. I don’t know what’s happening with [Murodjon] Akhmadaliev either, he’s in the waiting list as well so hopefully I can get the shot, but time will tell.”
Goodman is the No 1 ranked challenger by both the WBO and IBF, while Akhmadaliev holds that status with the WBA. Doheny, meanwhile, is ranked second by the WBO but is not in the top five with any of the other three sanctioning bodies.
Additionally, Goodman beat Doheny in a comfortable points victory in March 2023, so the Irishman jumping him in the queue to face Inoue has left the Australian baffled.
“It’s a bit bizarre,” Goodman said. “He’s had a good run since, but when I beat him he was an old man and he was finished. That’s what people were saying. ‘He’s a bit over the hill’. And I didn’t really get any credit for it and now he’s got the biggest opportunity in the division, so I think it’s a little bizarre.
Inoue Will Have ‘Early Night’ Against Doheny
“He’s had a good run and credit to him, but I think there’s better guys in line, to be honest. I think TJ’s been hurt previously in his last few fights. I put him down in round three as well. I think it’s an early night. I think under three rounds [against Inoue]. I hope I’m wrong. I like TJ as a guy, I think he’s a great guy, he’s done great things in the sport as well, but I don’t think he’s up for this challenge.”
Goodman also provided some insight into his trip to Tokyo to watch Inoue and insisted it was not part of any planned promotional activity to promote a future fight between the pair.
“We’ve never been in negotiations with Inoue. Everyone thinks because I got into the ring last time we must have been talking to them,” he said. “We spent our own money to get out to that fight purely to scout him out. Once we got out there, we were hearing the murmurings.
“We spoke to TJ’s manager and it was basically already talked about, about TJ getting the next shot. So that was a bit of a shock. There was no sort of negotiations, no deal put to us. I haven’t seen anything or been approached with anything, so as far as negotiations go… we already had this most recent fight pencilled in while we were over in Tokyo, we had this date.
“But we haven’t seen a contract. Nothing. There’s been no offer put to me that I could say yes or no to. That’s just lies … As far as pre-planned, pre-organizing stuff [to appear in the ring post Inoue-Nery], us turning stuff down, whatever, that’s just nonsense, and it’s all lies.”
