Naoya Inoue to Fight Sam Goodman on Christmas Eve

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Undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue is returning to the ring against Australian challenger Sam Goodman on December 24 in Tokyo.

An announcement for the Christmas Eve title bout was made during a news conference on Thursday, October 24.

In his most recent fight, Inoue defended his four title belts (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) with a seventh-round technical knockout of Irish opponent TJ Doheny on September 3 at Ariake Arena.

The 31-year-old Inoue (28-0, 25 knockouts) is set to make his next title defense at the same venue.

For “Monster” Inoue, his upcoming bout dubbed “Nightmare on Christmas Eve” will be his 24th consecutive world title fight and a testament to his long list of accomplishments in the ring.

Goodman, 26, is 19-0 with eight KOs. He is ranked No 1 in the super bantamweight (122-pound) division by the IBF and the WBO, and he’s fired up about the opportunity to fight Inoue.

“We’ve known about this fight for quite a while now, so I’m here, I’m ready, I’m keen to get it on,” Goodman was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’ve waited a while for my shot and I’m just glad we’ve finally got it here.”

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on the day of the fight’s announcement, Inoue mentioned that he has a duty to fight Goodman.

“He’s an opponent I cannot avoid if I’m going to defend my titles,” Inoue was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. “My motivation going forward is to surpass my last fight’s performance.”

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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward‘s dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.