Victorious Sam Goodman ready to bide his time for Naoya Inoue

Sam Goodman maintained his unbeaten record and stayed on course for a showdown with Naoya Inoue following a tough 12-round battle with Thailand’s Thactana Luangphon, who also goes by the name Chainoi “Rock Man” Worawut.

They boxed in front of Goodman’s hometown fans in Wollongong, Australia, and while the Thai tested Goodman, he didn’t derail the 19-0 (8 KOs) Goodman, who is ranked number one by the IBF and WBO at junior featherweight. 

Goodman damaged his left hand during the fight, and revealed that it got worse as the fight wore on. 

“I kept on throwing it,” said the 25-year-old. “I had to. It’s a 12-round fight. I’m not going to put it away. I had to keep using it until it was crook [damaged even worse] in about the ninth round when I felt it really go. I used the backhand a lot more, but we got through it. Hopefully it’s not too serious and we can move on and be back out at the end of the year.”

The visitor was in there fighting hard throughout, and Goodman said it was the type of outing he had wanted.

“It was a good tough test, that’s why we took the fight,” he explained. “We knew it was going to be a tough out and that’s what it was. I’m not here for easy rollover fights. We’re here for tough fights and fights that make me better. I’m only gonna learn and grow from the experience.

“You’re not here forever. I want to experience nights like this. I got to fight him in my hometown; in front of all my friends and family. It was a night I’ll remember for a long time, and a good fight.”

Asked specifically about the damage to his hand, Goodman added: “It was progressive. I felt it was a bit sore in the fourth; by the sixth it was sore again and then I hit him with a left hook in about the ninth and something didn’t feel quite right at all… We got through it and we won the fight in a tough 12-round fight.

“He was a good fighter. Give him his respect. Against these world-class guys, you’ve really got to earn it. I wasn’t good enough to stop him.”

Worawut lost for the first time as a professional, and is therefore 25-1-1 (15 KOs). Goodman remains in line to fight Inoue, although the Japanese icon is on track to first fight TJ Doheny in September in Japan. Goodman regardless says he will be ready when his time comes.

“I’ve got confidence every time I get in the ring,” he said. “There’s nothing I do better than boxing. I’ve got confidence going into any fight against any man in my weight class. If I take on the likes of Inoue, I’ll go into that fight full of confidence and that’s what I plan to do.”