Sam Goodman has agreed to risk a $1 million world title payday against an undefeated Thai fighter whose heavy hands have earned finishes across several fight disciplines and seen him dubbed ‘Rock Man’.
While he may be the mandatory challenger for Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue, Goodman has agreed to roll the dice and take another Wollongong Entertainment Centre headliner on July 10 – this time against world ranked Chainoi Worawut.
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The fight tops a stacked No Limit Pay-Per-View card that will also include Aussie favourite Liam Wilson, hyped prospect Billy Polkinghorn, even a heavyweight bout between AFL legend Barry Hall and exiled NRL star Curtis Scott.
Speaking at a Wednesday press conference in Wollongong to announce the card, No Limit CEO George Rose summarised the headliner by declaring “Sam Goodman is risking everything”.
“Australians love a punt,” the promoter continued, “but not many people would put their career on the line the way Sam is.”
Goodman, meanwhile, suggested the headliner would be the perfect preparation for an Inoue showdown, most likely in December.
Elsewhere, AFL great Hall also questioned why Scott, who is 20 years his junior, initially called him out for this fight after winning on debut against Joey Leilua.
Hall suggested the former league was trying to use him him for clout and, given he was now aged 47, undoubtedly saw him as vulnerable.
“But I fight for challenges,” Hall said.
“I don’t fight people who (I think) are vulnerable.
“And he might be calling me out for the right reasons, might see me as a challenge … but I don’t think so.”
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To which Scott replied: “Vulnerable?
“He’s a 6’5” unit who fought Paul Gallen, Sonny Bill Williams … he’s a big aggressive man with a decorated amateur career, played AFL — I’m definitely not expecting an easy fight.”
Soon after Hall added of Scott that “he doesn’t seem to be well liked”.
“everyone I’ve spoken to doesn’t seem to like him,” he shrugged before adding with a laugh: “But don’t shoot the messenger.
“I’m just telling you what people think”.
To which Scott replied: “It might hurt a little more when you get beat by the villain then”.
Yet undeniably the biggest storyline is Goodman rolling the dice on the biggest payday of his breakout career.
With his fight against Inoue expected to take place in December, Team Goodman wanted the type of tough preparation that 26-year-old Worawut – the son of a Muay Thai champion who himself fought over 200 times in the discipline before switching sports.
While Goodman (18-0) is ranked No.1 contender with both the IBF and WBO, he sits at seventh in the WBC rankings – with Worawut (25-0-1) only a spot behind him.
So while the Aussie insists a win will be the perfect preparation for upsetting Inoue, and scoring arguably the greatest upset in national boxing history, a loss would see the opportunity disappear altogether.
“But I’ve got to be tested,” Goodman said up on stage.
“So I’m rolling the dice, going all in.”
Another fighter looking to win big is Queensland favorite Wilson, aka Mr Damage.
After twice fighting for world titles at super featherweight, Wilson (13-3) is now moving up for what he hopes will eventually be an all-Australian showdown against former undisputed lightweight king George Kambosos.
And his first step towards that bout will be against Sydneysider Youssef ‘Ewee’ Dib (21-1), who was himself recently ranked top 10 in the world.
Polkinghorn, meanwhile, is set to make his No Limit debut after a stunning amateur career that saw him fight almost 200 times, including several crackers against the likes of both Wilson and Harry Garside – the later of whom he dropped during a contentious Olympic trial loss.
Originally from the UK, the adopted Aussie super lightweight will face Jordan Kasilieris.
The card will also see Sydney Swans great Hall, now 47, return to the ring for the first time since his own hyped fights against Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams.
The retired AFL tough is taking on Scott, who has gone undefeated in two fights since switching to boxing after being banned by the NRL.
The Wollongong card also doubles as something of a heavyweight slugfest, with noted punchers Brandon Grach, Liam Talivaa and Toese Vousiutu all slated for fights on the undercard.
Yet undeniably the biggest story surrounds 25-year-old Goodman risking a world title shot – and that $1 million payday – by following the ‘Tim Tszyu playbook’ and continuing to fight regularly in preparation.
As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia, Team Inoue wants the undisputed super bantamweight king to defend again in Japan this September – with Irishman TJ Doheny the clubhouse leader to oppose him – before then backing up against Goodman in Saudi Arabia before Christmas.
Yet before all that can even take place, Goodman must now win again in July.
The decision is a huge one for the Albion Park product who has not only been mandatory for Inoue (27-0) for several months, but even travelled to Japan and confronted the star in ring after his most recent win.
After the champ stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery, Goodman entered the ring, took the microphone and boldly declared before a Tokyo Dome crowd of 55,000: “Either give up the belts, or fight me … let’s get it on”.
Should the Aussie face Inoue in either Japan or Saudi Arabia, he will receive a $1 million purse and, with a win, an even bigger rematch bounty.
But the fighter who trains out of Complete Boxing on the Central Coast believes that, just like good mate Tszyu, staying active is the best way for him to be ready to shock the world at the end of 2024.
Asked about having confronted Inoue, Goodman said: “I know I’m on his radar and he’s on mine.
“I’ve got a job to do in July but make no mistake after that I’ll be taking my shot.
“I know what prepares me best, I have to stay active, stay busy.
“(The plan) is not just to fight ‘The Monster’, but beat him.”
Both Goodman and his team are convinced the gutsy Wollongong fighter has a style capable of bettering Inoue, who was dropped for the first time in his career by Nery in the opening round.
Earlier this month, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum revealed to Fox Sports Australia that while Inoue and Goodman will definitely throw down this year, the fighter dubbed ‘Monster’ may first take another fight in September before turning around again in December.
Goodman’s camp is angling for the December bout and, as result, are convinced a July bout is the perfect way to prepare for a fella now being hailed arguably the greatest fighter, pound for pound, on earth.
Speaking on the eve of George Kambosos’s most recent world title fight in Perth, Arum revealed that Inoue’s next showdown could be against Irishman TJ Doheny – who has scored three consecutive KO wins fighting in Japan.
Arum quickly added however that even if Doheny were to get first crack, Goodman “will be fighting Inoue this year”.
Ironically, Goodman beat Doheny back in March last year – on the undercard of Tszyu versus Tony Harrison – and has since won four straight to become mandatory for the IBF title.
“The plan is for Inoue to fight again in Japan this September,” Arum explained.
“And then depending on how everything breaks down from there, he would fight again at the end of the year, maybe in Riyadh.
“And both Sam Goodman and the Irish kid (Doheny) are great opponents.
“I had the opportunity to have a brief conversation with Sam this week in Tokyo and was very impressed with him and his demeanor.
“So whether he fights Inoue in September or December, I don’t know.
“But he certainly will be fighting Inoue this year.”