Naoya Inoue to Defend Title Against Sam Goodman

Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed super-bantamweight titles against Sam Goodman on December 24 in Tokyo at the Ariake Arena. Inoue, who is undefeated with a 28-0 record and 25 knockouts, is considered one of boxing's pound-for-pound best and holds all four major belts in the 122-pound division. Despite fans’ desire to see him face tougher opponents in higher weight classes, Inoue remains in the super-bantamweight division, which is seen as lacking strong competition. Goodman, also undefeated with a 19-0 record, earned his mandatory challenger position with a win over Ra'eese Aleem but is regarded as a finesse fighter with less punching power. Inoue’s fight against Goodman is expected to attract significant attention in Japan and Australia but is viewed as a mismatch elsewhere. Inoue is anticipated to transition to a major event in the U.S., possibly against fellow Japanese fighter Junto Nakatani, after his bout with Goodman.