Author: Sean Crose

If boxing fans are to be believed, they will have a nice present for themselves this Christmas. As the outlet’s Mike Coppinger reports, Noya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion of the world, is in the process of finalizing a December 24 contract with Sam Goodman. Goodman, who is largely unknown, will enter the ring as a prohibitive underdog, yet he will receive the opportunity of a lifetime to face perhaps the greatest dynamic fighter in the world. The fight will take place in the early morning hours here in the States, but should be broadcast live, like all of Inoue’s fights.

The 25-year-old Goodman will travel from Australia to Tokyo for this fight. He is undefeated at 19-0, although perhaps the biggest name he faces is TJ Doheny, whom he defeated last year. Stylistically, Goodman strings together his punches effectively. He also has sleek footwork and knows how to put pressure on his opponent. On the other hand, an undefeated challenger has narrow punching power at best. Indeed, only eight of the man’s nearly 20 fights have not gone to the final bell.

This could prove to be a problem for Goodman when he faces Inoue in December. The 31-year-old multi-division champion has a 28-0 record and has stopped all but three of his opponents in the distance. Moreover, Inoue has faced many opponents, from Antonio Nieves to Nonito Donaire to Stephen Fulton. Added to this is Inoue’s incredible self-confidence and thunderous power. They don’t call him “The Monster” for nothing. Inoue’s bodywork in particular is something terrifyingly attractive. Perhaps the Japanese fighter is no longer simply considered great – perhaps he is now seen as an all-time great.

Goodman will certainly have a lot of work to do if this fight happens (which it probably will). Still, warrior careers are relatively low adventures. The degree of slippage becomes apparent after the age of thirty, as is the case with Inoue. However, such slippages have not been recorded yet, and Inoue has already fought twice this year. Even if Inoue starts to lose strength, he will still be a real force to be reckoned with. Great fighters tend to fade at a slower rate than their in-ring peers.

Both Nick Ball and Ronny Rios weighed under 126 pounds as featherweights ahead of Saturday’s WBA title fight at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

Ball (20-0, 11 KO), 27, is defending the title in his hometown for the first time.

Rios (34-4, 17 KO), 34, is making his third attempt at winning the world title and first at featherweight. The ball hit the scales at 125.1 pounds; his challenger weighed slightly more at 125.6 pounds.

WBA Featherweight Championship – 12 rounds

Nick Ball – 125.1 pounds

Ronny Rios – 125.6 pounds

British and Commonwealth Junior Welterweight Title – 12 rounds

Henry Turner – 139.7 lbs

Jack Rafferty – 139.7 pounds

Bantamweight – 10 rounds

Andrew Cain – 117.1 pounds

Lazaro Casseres – 116.1 pounds

Lithe – 10 rounds

Jader Herrera – 134 pounds

Oliver Flores – 134.6 pounds

Bantamweight – six rounds

Jack Turner – 120.1 lbs

Gonzalo Corinaldesi – 118.1 pounds

Junior welterweight – six rounds

Nelson Birchall – 130.5 pounds

Mark Butler – 129.9 pounds

Welterweight – four rounds

Lucas Biswana – 145.1 pounds

Jakub Laskowski – 144.1lbs

Lightweight – eight rounds

James McGivern – 135.1 pounds

Requ Facundo Arce – 135.4 lbs

Middleweight – four rounds

Joe Cooper – 159.1 pounds

Lukasz Barabasz – 159.1lbs

Junior featherweight category – four rounds

Brad Strand 122.5 pounds

Marvin Solano – 125.7 pounds

Junior middle category – four rounds

Walter Fury – 156.1 pounds

Dale Arrowsmith – 155.1 pounds

LOS ANGELES — Golden Boy Promotions partner Bernard Hopkins suggested this week that Ryan Garcia’s return to the ring could come much sooner than expected.

“People will hear” about Garcia’s plan “very soon,” Hopkins told World Boxing News and other reporters this week. He will compete “before he can get back in the ring.”

Garcia was last seen taking Devin Haney repeatedly to the canvas during his career-best performance in April at the Barclays Center in Modern York.

Drug testers later discovered the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine in the brilliant fighter’s system, and the victory was declared null and void, meaning the result was invalid. Garcia was suspended for one year, backdated to the time of the fight.

Despite the drug scandal and controversy outside the ring, Garcia remains linked to large fights against the likes of Mario Barrios and even Gervonta Davis in a rematch. However, none of these fights could take place earlier than April 2025, when Garcia’s ban expires.

However, to get around this suspension, reports from earlier this summer suggested that Garcia could compete in a boxing event in Japan – potentially in the coming months.

“Ryan Garcia is in good mental and physical condition” and is ready to fight before “returning to the ring,” Hopkins told WBN and other media during a conference in Los Angeles.

“When you find your inner self, your soul, your spirit, you have the opportunity to reflect. These reflections can change your life and career.

“This may be the greatest blessing Ryan Garcia has received, having time to reflect. Now, as he returns to the second act, he can look back at the first chapter,” he said.

Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar de la Hoya recently met with Garcia. Hopkins told us what they talked about. “He told me he misses boxing. I looked him straight in the eye and asked, “You miss boxing, don’t you, Ryan?”

“And he said, ‘Yeah, man,’ and he literally smiled. He stood up, we embraced and hugged. It’s almost over. Ryan has a plan. His plan will be great.”

Hopkins then suggested that Garcia’s next moves would be announced by the fighter himself and would likely be in line with what was reported this summer – an end-of-year fight, possibly an exhibition, possibly in Japan.

“[That’s] “isn’t too far off” from the reality of the situation, Hopkins said.

“It’s going to be something large. I believe this is an advertisement for what’s next, when he can get back to the sweet competition in a loaded weight class.

“There are a lot of good fights Ryan can have. Boxing needs fights that Ryan will be a part of.”