Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue’s fight against Sam Goodman on December 24 will have to be postponed after the Australian suffered a cut over his left eye during the last sparring session. The two were scheduled to meet at the Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, in Tokyo, Japan.
No substitute?
No word yet on whether Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will find a replacement opponent to save the date and card. There wasn’t much interest from non-Australian fans to see Inoue defend against Goodman, 26, as the fight was seen as a mismatch.
The fans wouldn’t have protested if Inoue had never postponed Goodman’s bout as this is not one of the names on the wish list for the Japanese fighter to face.
They want Inoue to start fighting 50-50 fights, not 90-10. That’s why Naoya is not popular outside of his native Japan. He never puts himself in a position where he can lose by fighting guys who have a chance to beat him. He is not a risk.
Goodman never defeated any notable opponents to earn his No. 1 ranking in the IBF and WBO rankings. Boxing fans wanted to see Inoue for a change as a talented contender, namely Murojon Ahmadaliyev or John Riel Casimer. Goodman was just another in a long line of disappointing opponents Inoue faced during his 12-year pro career.
Inoue enjoyed his sweet time as he moved up to 126 to face the dangerous talent in that division, and some believe he has stage fright, knowing he would be expected to fight these dangerous predators:
Rafael Espinoza
Bruce Carrington
King Vargas
Stephen Fulton
Angelo Leo
Brandon Figueroa
Sulaimaan Segava
Is it too much for Inoue to take on one of these killers? Many of these guys would be an absolute nightmare for Inoue, 31, which may be why he’s hesitant to make the move to featherweight.
Goodman’s injury
A disaster. Sam Goodman was cut over the eye in his last match before the undisputed fight against Naoya Inoue. The Goodman camp is now seeking a postponement of the fight scheduled for Christmas Eve in Tokyo. Goodman was supposed to fly out tomorrow #InoueGoodman pic.twitter.com/cdk6UpIMI8
— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) December 14, 2024