Sam Goodman will never forget the walk to the ring for his recent win over Cesar Vaca.
It wasn’t a standout moment on its own, certainly not without knowing the back story.
At the time, it was the only opportunity he had on the books, after twice losing out on a shot at four-division champ and undisputed 122lbs king Naoya Inoue due to injury.
Australia’s Goodman, 20-0 (8 KOs) was due to face the highly rated pound-for-pound entrant, first last December 24 and then rescheduled by a month to January 24 in Tokyo. Both dates were scrapped when he twice suffered a gruesome cut over the same eye, the second occasion enough for Inoue, 30-0 (27 KOs) to move on from the unbeaten contender.
Having not fought since last July, Goodman and his team understood the importance of taking any fight for the sake of getting back into the ring. It led to their securing Mexico’s Vaca, 19-2-1 (12 KOs) for a May 14 date in Sydney, which Goodman won by unanimous decision.
The outcome was hardly a surprise. What did come as a shock was the phone call that followed just a few short weeks later – the chance to challenge WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball.
“After losing out on a shot for the world title, it looked like I was gonna get shut out for a while,” Goodman told BoxingScene. “I didn’t know what was going to be next, then this came out of the blue.
“I was like, ‘abso-fucking-lutely.’ It was a no-brainer; we jumped at it. Everything opens back up for me with a win here.”
Ball, 22-0-1 (13 KOs) and Goodman will meet this Saturday as part of a DAZN Pay-Per-View event from ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ironically, a win this weekend could very well put Goodman back on track to one day face Inoue, should the future Hall of Famer one day choose to pursue a run at a fifth divisional title.
There was a point when it was theorized that the move would come as early as the year’s end. Fittingly to this scenario, Ball’s name was mentioned as the likely target, though Inoue has since confirmed his intention to remain put at 122lbs for now.
Meanwhile, it is Goodman – a career junior featherweight – who moves up in weight for his first shot at a major title.
The decision to add up to four pounds to his frame was not made out of necessity, but rather the opportunity.
Inoue holds all of the major belts at 122lbs and is already booked up for the time being, beginning with former unified titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14 in Nagoya, Japan. With a win, Inoue is then likely to next face Mexico’s Alan David Picasso on December 27 at a location to be determined in Japan.
Assuming he prevails and remains champ, the expectation is to then face three-division champ Junto Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs) in what would be the biggest all-Japan fight ever.
It’s an epic run and a sight to hold for admirers of the sport. However, it’s also a bleak outlook for any 122lbs contender like Goodman who is not included in that mix.
Therefore, the chance to challenge Ball – who attempts his third title defense – was the easiest decision he’s ever made.
“To be fair, Nick Ball is probably the biggest scalp to get at featherweight and the best they got right now,” Goodman insisted. “That’s what makes it such an exciting fight. I’m not thinking about beating him and then unifying the division, waiting for pound-for-pound fighters below to move up or anything like that. I already have the top guy in the division in front of me.
“It’s logical for others to say that I’m back in Inoue’s sights after I win, since Nick Ball’s name was being mentioned as his potential first fight at featherweight. That’s for other people to say, though. I know I keep repeating myself, but my head is only on August 16.”
