WBA world featherweight champion Nick Ball (UK), who holds an undefeated record of 22 wins (13 KOs) and 1 draw, is set to make the third defense of his title on August 16 (August 17 JST) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the “Riyadh Season” boxing series. His opponent will be Sam Goodman (Australia), the current IBF and WBO No.1 super bantamweight contender and WBC No.4, who is undefeated in 20 bouts (8 KOs).
Ball had previously been linked to a fight with former two-division world champion Luis Nery (Mexico, 36–2, 28 KOs), but those plans fell through after the highly anticipated main event between Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney was canceled due to Lopez’s withdrawal. Frank Warren, Ball’s promoter, subsequently confirmed that the Nery bout would also not take place.
Goodman then emerged as the new opponent. He had sustained a laceration above his left eyelid requiring four stitches during a sparring session on December 14 last year, just ten days before his scheduled fight with Naoya Inoue (Ohashi Gym, 30–0, 27 KOs), the undisputed world super bantamweight champion. The bout was postponed by a month, but during a sparring session on January 11, Goodman re-injured the same area, this time requiring 14 stitches. As a result, he officially withdrew from the title challenge, with doctors estimating a six-month recovery period.
Despite this setback, Goodman returned to the ring on May 14 (May 15 JST) in Sydney, Australia, where he earned a unanimous decision victory over César Baca (Mexico, 19–2–1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round bout. However, during the match, an accidental head clash caused another cut to his previously injured left eyelid — the same area that had led to the cancellation of his fight with Inoue.
The main event on the same card is expected to feature 20-year-old British heavyweight knockout sensation Moses Itauma (12–0, 10 KOs), who is currently ranked No.1 by the WBO, No.3 by the WBA, and No.7 by the IBF. He is set to face former WBC interim heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte (UK, 31–3, 21 KOs), with negotiations reportedly in their final stages.
Also scheduled is a clash between former WBA world featherweight champion Raymond Ford (USA), who is currently ranked No.4 by both the WBA and WBC and No.5 by the IBF and WBO at super featherweight, and Anthony Cacace (Ireland, 23–1, 8 KOs), who vacated the IBF super featherweight title while remaining undefeated under that sanctioning body.
Sam Goodman, who never got the chance to face Naoya Inoue despite three opportunities — perhaps it was fate that led him instead to this showdown with Nick Ball in Saudi Arabia.
Related Article: https://japansports-boxingmaster.com/sam-goodman-withdraws-from-naoya-inoue-title-challenge-out-for-six-months-due-to-injury/
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