Naoya Inoue vs Sam Goodman: Date, UK start time, undercard and how to follow as ‘Nightmare on Christmas Eve’ rescheduled
Four-weight world champion Naoya Inoue will defend his super-bantamweight titles against Sam Goodman later this month. The Japanese pound-for-pound star was set to face IBF mandatory challenger on Christmas Eve before Goodman suffered an injury. Inoue’s fight with Goodman was billed as the ‘Nightmare on Christmas Eve’Naoki Fukuda Images surfaced of a nasty cut above the Australian’s left eye, which he had suffered in sparring just under two weeks out from the event. The pair will now meet in Tokyo at the end of January as Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will seek to secure a 10th successive stoppage victory. ‘The Monster’ is making a third defence of his undisputed crown within a single calendar year, having defeated Luis Nery in May, before beating TJ Doheny four months later. The WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF super bantamweight champion now returns to Japan to face unbeaten Goodman. The Aussie, who boasts a record of 19-0 with eight stoppage wins, will box away from home for the first time in his professional career. Inoue vs Goodman: Date and how to follow This 12-round super-bantamweight title bout will take place is set to take place on Friday, January 24. It will be held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, with official start times set to be confirmed in due course. Existing customers will be able to watch for free and for those without Sky Sports can find more details on how to subscribe here. talkSPORT will have all the build-up throughout fight week and talkSPORT.com will have all the reaction from the event. Goodman released a statement after suffering a nasty cut in sparringX - Ben Damon Inoue vs Goodman: Undercard Subject to change… MAIN EVENT: Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman: For WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and The Ring Super Bantamweight titles Yoshiki Takei vs. Yuttapong Tongdee Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai Goki Kobayashi vs. Yuni Takada Tsubasa Narai vs. Kai Watanabe Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Misaki Hirano Inoue is widely regarded as the best boxer on the planetNaoki Fukuda Inoue vs Goodman: What has been said? “The December 24 [fight against Goodman] is now going to be held on January 24 so that’s done, written in stone,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum told Sky Sports. “And then after that fight we expect to bring Inoue to the United States to fight in Las Vegas against this Mexican fighter named [Alan David] Picasso. Which we’re going to have a lot of fun with. He’s a good fighter, Picasso.” An eventual showdown with Japanese WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani could be Inoue’s destiny for later in the year – should the former also successfully defend his title against Mexico’s David Cuellar in February. Promoter Arum added: “Then we’ll also have on that card the bantamweight champion, Nakatani. “A tremendous fighter and if Inoue and Nakatani win their fights, which will probably be in April, then they would fight each other for the 122lbs title in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, which would be the biggest fight in the history of Japan.”
Four-weight world champion Naoya Inoue will defend his super-bantamweight titles against Sam Goodman later this month.
The Japanese pound-for-pound star was set to face IBF mandatory challenger on Christmas Eve before Goodman suffered an injury.
Images surfaced of a nasty cut above the Australian’s left eye, which he had suffered in sparring just under two weeks out from the event.
The pair will now meet in Tokyo at the end of January as Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will seek to secure a 10th successive stoppage victory.
‘The Monster’ is making a third defence of his undisputed crown within a single calendar year, having defeated Luis Nery in May, before beating TJ Doheny four months later.
The WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF super bantamweight champion now returns to Japan to face unbeaten Goodman.
The Aussie, who boasts a record of 19-0 with eight stoppage wins, will box away from home for the first time in his professional career.
Inoue vs Goodman: Date and how to follow
This 12-round super-bantamweight title bout will take place is set to take place on Friday, January 24.
It will be held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, with official start times set to be confirmed in due course.
Existing customers will be able to watch for free and for those without Sky Sports can find more details on how to subscribe here.
talkSPORT will have all the build-up throughout fight week and talkSPORT.com will have all the reaction from the event.
Inoue vs Goodman: Undercard
Subject to change…
- MAIN EVENT: Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman: For WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and The Ring Super Bantamweight titles
- Yoshiki Takei vs. Yuttapong Tongdee
- Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai
- Goki Kobayashi vs. Yuni Takada
- Tsubasa Narai vs. Kai Watanabe
- Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Misaki Hirano
Inoue vs Goodman: What has been said?
“The December 24 [fight against Goodman] is now going to be held on January 24 so that’s done, written in stone,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum told Sky Sports.
“And then after that fight we expect to bring Inoue to the United States to fight in Las Vegas against this Mexican fighter named [Alan David] Picasso. Which we’re going to have a lot of fun with. He’s a good fighter, Picasso.”
An eventual showdown with Japanese WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani could be Inoue’s destiny for later in the year – should the former also successfully defend his title against Mexico’s David Cuellar in February.
Promoter Arum added: “Then we’ll also have on that card the bantamweight champion, Nakatani.
“A tremendous fighter and if Inoue and Nakatani win their fights, which will probably be in April, then they would fight each other for the 122lbs title in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, which would be the biggest fight in the history of Japan.”
