Challenger to Inoue: "Learned a Lot from the Fight Against Nery"

Australian mandatory challenger for the IBF super bantamweight title (up to 122 lbs), Sam Goodman (18-0, 8 KOs), shared his thoughts on a potential bout against Japanese undisputed champion Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs).

"I saw enough in the Inoue vs. Nery fight to do the necessary work to beat him. For me, it's a huge opportunity because I want to fight for world titles. Inoue holds them all, so I have to fight him. I must box my hardest, but if I do, I believe I can beat this man.

Inoue being knocked down shows that we are all human. At any moment, anyone can beat anyone. I need to fight a perfect fight to really challenge him. I learned a lot from the Inoue vs. Nery fight to show that I can really push this guy to the limit – not just to prove it, but to beat him," said Goodman.

On May 6, Naoya Inoue defended his title against Mexican Luis Nery (35-2, 27 KOs). In the first round, the challenger shocked Inoue by sending him to the canvas for the first knockdown of his career, but in the 6th, Inoue knocked out his opponent.