Sam Goodman reflects on Ryosuke Nishida win and teases Inoue showdown

On September 27 at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo, Sam Goodman defeated Ryosuke Nishida to win the IBF interim super bantamweight title. It was a tough fight for both, with Goodman deservedly getting his hand raised. The Australian fighter spoke to the Ring, where he reflected on his fight against Nishida while teasing a potential showdown against Naoya Inoue.

Sam Goodman defeats Ryosuke Nishida in Japan

Goodman (23-1, 8 KOs) produced a high-energy display and never backed down vs Nishida (11-2, 2 KOs), outworking the Japanese fighter and winning by unanimous decision with scorecards of 116-109, 115-110, and 114-111. 

Goodman’s last defeat came against Ball, where many felt he was guilty of just not doing enough, but he didn’t make that mistake this time and outpunched Nishida in the majority of the rounds. 

Sam Goodman reflects and teases Inoue showdown

Following his success against Nishida, the Aussie fighter spoke to the Ring, reflecting on his win: 

“He was tough; it was a tough fight, but I thought I broke him down, poured on the pace and did what I thought I’d do to him,” said Goodman.

“Building up to it, I had to be positive early, not leave it too close and felt I won the bulk of the rounds. I was positive from the get-go, looked to dominate … we always approached it one way: going forward, putting it on him,” added Goodman. 

“He may have pushed me to places I haven’t been in other fights because of the immense fight pace. We didn’t stop throwing punches but I knew we needed to, they don’t hand out world titles so I had to put it on him.”

When asked if that was the toughest fight of his career, the Aussie said: “I probably couldn’t say that because I lost to Nick Ball.”

The Big Fight Weekend verdict

Sam Goodman has suffered only one defeat and mixed at a good level. A showdown with Inoue would be a huge ask for anyone, including the Aussie. If Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs) moved to featherweight, a shot at the vacant IBF title could be a real possibility. 

The Aussie put his best foot forward against Nishida. He was aggressive, stayed on the front foot and often outworked the Japanese fighter. Even when withstanding pressure, the Aussie stayed composed and maintained his structure.

Whatever comes next for Goodman, he deserves the most rewarding opportunities.

• Emanuel Navarrete reveals his game plan for O’Shaquie Foster
• Tyson Fury sends brutal warning to Anthony Joshua: ‘When I catch him, it’s going to be curtains’
• Osleys Iglesias vs Oliver Zaren: Prediction and fight card for October 8

Featured Image Credit:

No Limit Boxing