Inoue vs Goodman Official for December 24 in Tokyo

In a fitting announcement one week before Halloween, Top Rank Boxing issued a midnight announcement Wednesday. Inoue vs Goodman is now official, and The Monster returns.

Pound-for-pound talent Naoya Inoue of Japan will defend his undisputed super bantamweight titles against unbeaten contender Sam Goodman of Albion Park, New South Wales, Australia on Christmas Eve – Tuesday, December 24, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

It will be Inoue’s third defense of his undisputed status within a single calendar year. Inoue will also look to extend his nine-fight consecutive knockout win streak to ten. Inoue vs Goodman will headline a special early-morning broadcast streaming live exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN Plus.

Naoya Inoue is a two-division undisputed world champion. Photo: Top Rank Boxing

In the co-feature, Yoshiki Takei (10-0, 8 KOs) will defend his WBO bantamweight world title against an opponent to be named later.

Goodman: ‘Opportunity Of A Lifetime’

During a live press conference attended by Inoue in Tokyo with Goodman appearing via satellite from Australia, the challenger called the fight “the opportunity of a lifetime.” He promised he would be well-prepared and ready. “I’m keen to get it on,” stated Goodman.

“I’m aware of the task in front of me. I know I’ve got to be at my best to beat this guy. But I’m not coming all the way to Tokyo to lie down and get beat like a lot of fighters have.”

Goodman said he knew Inoue’s team was overlooking him, pointing out that Top Rank Boxing promoter Bob Arum and others are already discussing Inoue’s return to the United States for a fight before he defeats Goodman. “I know they’ve got dates already scheduled for next year.” Count on this to put a motivational chip on Goodman’s shoulder.

The Naoya Inoue Legacy

Naoya Inoue showed respect for TJ Doheny’s experience and power in early rounds, then closed in. Photo: Naoki Fukuda for Top Rank

But it will take a lot more than motivation to defeat a fighter who is increasingly acknowledged as a generational talent.

Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) began his undisputed, unified four-belt reign in December 2022 when he stopped Paul Butler to unify the bantamweight titles.

Over the next 12 months, the 31-year-old Inoue knocked out WBC/WBO champ Stephen Fulton in July 2023 and WBA/IBF belt holder Marlon Tapales of the Philippines in December 2023 to become an undisputed champion in his second weight class.

Inoue made history again in May of this year when he headlined the first boxing card at the Tokyo Dome since the historic Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas heavyweight showdown.

There would be no repeat of the upset of the February 11, 1990 win by Douglas, but Inoue gave the fans a scare. He was knocked down in the first round by challenger and former two-division world champion Luis Nery of Tijuana, Mexico (35-2, 27 KOs). Inoue bounced back to stop Nery in the sixth round.

In September, he scored a seventh-round TKO victory against former junior featherweight champion TJ Doheny of Ireland (26-5, 20 KOs).

Goodman’s Patience Pays Off

Sam Goodman’s patience has paid off. He will finally fight Naoya Inoue on December 24 in Tokyo. Photo: No Limit Boxing

Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) is a 26-year-old Australian who has been a professional since 2018. He fought four times in 2023, winning a decision over Doheny, Ra’eese Aleem of Muskegon, Michigan (20-1, 12 KOs), and Zhong Liu of China (19-1, 7 KOs).

Goodman won a fourth-round TKO against domestic challenger Mark Schleibs (13-2, 9 KOs) in March and handed Thachtana Luangphon of Thailand (25-1, 15 KOs) his first loss in July.

Goodman is Inoue’s mandatory IBF challenger, ranked number one with the IBF and WBO. But Goodman has been forced to wait months for his title fight opportunity against Inoue.

Goodman can become the nation’s first undisputed champion since Kostya Tszyu with a victory. He would join cruiserweight Jai Opetaia and featherweight Skye Nicolson as Australia’s current boxing world champions.