Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman: Tale of the Tape

We analyse the credentials of Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman as the pair get set to battle it out for the undisputed super bantamweight championship at the Ariake Arena in the Koto-Ku area of Tokyo.

The fight was initially scheduled for Christmas Eve but an injury to Goodman has pushed the date back to January 24, 2025.

Both men are unbeaten but come into this contest at different stages of their careers. Inoue is one of the pound-for-pound best and is a four-weight world champion, holding undisputed honors in two divisions. Goodman is challenging for a world title for the first time and this will be his first bout outside of his native Australia.

Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman: Tale of the Tape

Fighter Bio	Naoya Inoue	Sam Goodman
Odds:	-1600	+900
Age:	31	26
Nickname:	Monster	Mr Mandatory*
Height:	5 ft 5 in	5 ft 6 1/2 in
Reach:	67 1/2 in	66 1/2 in
Weight:	Super Bantmanweight	Super Bantamweight
Trainer:	Shingo Inoue	Johnny Lewis
Record:	28-0 (25 KO)	19-0 (8 KO)
Titles:	WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and The Ring	N/A
Last Fight:	Win by technical knockout against TJ Doheny (Sept 2024)	Win by unanimous decision against Thachtana Luangphon (July 2024)

* (This isn’t an official nickname, just something he’s been saying about himself ahead of the Inoue fight)

Read Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman fight date, ring walk time, undercard, how to watch

Naoya Inoue Record

Naoya Inoue made his debut in 2012 and put together a perfect 5-0 record, including a points win over future world champion Ryoichi Taguchi, before earning a first world title shot.

Inoue stopped the experienced Mexican Adrian Hernandez in the sixth round to claim the WBC light flyweight title in 2014 and became a two-weight world champion later the same year with a victory that sent out a huge statement.

The Monster came up against long-time WBO super flyweight champion Omar Andres Narvaez, who had reigned for 14 years and boasted a 43-1-2 record, but he made light work of the Argentine. Inoue floored Naevaez twice in the first round before going on to record a devastating second round knockout.

Inoue has since become a four-weight world champion and is one of only three men in the four-belt era to be undisputed champion in two weight classes, alongside Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk.

The Japanese sensation has victories over the likes of Nonito Donaire (twice), Paul Butler and Marlon Tapales on his CV and has previously topped The Ring’s pound-for-pound list, he is currently second on that list and third on ESPN’s.

Inoue’s power sets him apart from the majority of fighters in the divisions he has competed in and his bodyshots are particularly devastating, while his speed and accuracy are also among his key weapons.

He is also a durable fighter and sustained significant damage against Donaire but fought on to claim a unanimous points win in their first meeting, before backing that up with an early stoppage in the rematch. 

Strengths	Weaknesses
Power	Footwork
Speed
Accuracy
Bodyshots

Sam Goodman Record

Sam Goodman comes into this title fight as a huge underdog but the Australian deserves his shot at Inoue after putting together a 19-0 record.

Goodman, who hails from Albion Park in New South Wales, made his debut in 2018 by stopping journeyman Worawatchai Boonjan in the second round and faced two unbeaten fighters in his next two bouts.

The 26-year-old won a regional featherweight title in 2021 and later that year moved up to super bantamweight, landing the vacant WBO Oriental strap by stopping the experienced Richie Mepranum.

Goodman has a points win over TJ Doheny, who was Inoue’s last opponent, on his record and has held various regional belts.

The Aussie has never been in the ring with anyone near the level of Inoue but he has faced three unbeaten opponents in his last five bouts and has passed every test he has faced so far fairly comfortably. 

Goodman has earned this shot as the mandatory IBF challenger and has taken on the moniker of ‘Mr Mandatory’ in the build-up to his bout with Inoue, although that nickname will surely be blocked if he manages to pull off a huge upset with a win in Japan.

Goodman carries a bit of power with eight early finishes in a 19 fight career but his speed and workrate are his main strengths. Tapales enjoyed some success against Inoue with superior footwork but was unable to sustain that level, and he perhaps laid down a bit of a blueprint for Goodman to follow if he wants to frustrate the champion.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Unbeaten	Power
Confidence	Inexperience
Hand speed
Work rate

Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change