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.

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.”

IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly stopped IBF Pan Pacific title and WBO world champion “King” Andrei Mikhailovich in a ninth-round war on Friday night at The Star in Sydney, Novel South Wales, Australia.

The fight had to take place in July in Las Vegas when Alimkhanuly passed out on fight day due to weight gain.

IBF middleweight champion Aimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KO) knocked out Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KO) at 2:45 of the ninth round in a fight scheduled for 12 rounds.

Aimkhanuly used his jab effectively in the first round, rocking Mikhailovich mid-round with a left hand to the chin. Mikhailovich landed a solid shot right to Aimkhanuly’s chin after the bell.

In the second round, after a minute of Mikahilovich holding firm against punches, Aimkhanuly was landed behind the head and warned by referee Katsuhiko Nakamura.

Aimkhanuly rocked Mikhailovich, knocking him to his feet. In the last seconds, Aimkhanuly’s left to the chin knocked down Mikahilovich for 8 from referee Nakamura.

In the third round, Aimkhanuly was dominated by Mikhailovich, who fought well but was lost until the bell. In the fourth round, Aimkhanuly outperformed the tough Mikhailovich throughout, keeping the fight single.

In the fifth round, Mikahilovich kept him inside, not allowing Aimkhanuly to break free with his knockout power for half the round. In the last round, Aimkhanuly had Mikhailovich on defense.

Aimkhanuly drew blood from Mikahilovich’s nose in the first minute of the sixth. It was Aimkhanuly who stood his ground, and Mikahilovich came back and fought well.

Aimkhanuly landed three or four punches at once in the seventh set. Arriving two days before the fight may have had an impact on Aimkhanuly as Mikahliovich fought well.

In the eighth round, Aimkhanuly sucked blood from Mikhailovich’s mouth in the first minute. Mikhailovich was punished several times by referee Nakamura for using his head. In the final seconds, Aimkhanuly’s left uppercut injured Mikahliovich.

In the ninth round, Aimkhanuly left Mikhailovich almost defenseless, bleeding from his nose and mouth. Aimkhanuly took Mikhailovich to the ropes and almost knocked him to the ground when referee Nakamura wisely called a timeout.

IBO featherweight champion Mea Motu (20-0, 8 KO) defeated Shannon O’Connell (24-8-1, 12 KO) at 1:06 of the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round fight.

In the first round, 41-year-old former Commonwealth champion O’Connell, who was playing as a substitute, endured a solid round by both her and Motu until heads clashed midway through the round, which resulted in O’Connell suffering a massive gash after right side of the head, which caused the doctor on duty to come and check it out.

In the second round, O’Connell, with blood streaming down her face, fought bravely until the final seconds when she was crushed by a Motu combination.

There was no blood flowing in the third round of action, but by the end an egg-sized lump appeared on O’Connell’s forehead.

In the fourth round, both were landing punches mid-round when the towel was thrown in and O’Connell was concussed by a Motu punch, causing referee Andrew Lazich to order a stoppage.

O’Connell was a true fighter in defeat and was expected to fight for the WIBF World Super Bantam title in Germany, taking the fight on tiny notice. Motu showed her respect by hugging O’Connell after the break.

Lightweight Charlie Kazzi (7-0, 3 KO) knocked out Lui Magavia (4-7 (1 KO) featherweight) at 1:18 of the seventh round of a scheduled eight-round fight in an action-packed fight for the vacant WBC Australasia silver title.

It was a fast-paced action with the taller Kazzi going to the body, ending the round with a strenuous punch right to Magavia’s chin. In the final seconds, Kazzi rocked Magavia with a left hook to the chin.

In the third round, referee Will Soulis warned Kazzi not to stop punching. In the final thirty seconds, Kazzi rocked Magavia with a solid punch to the chin.

In the last twenty seconds of the fifth round, Kazzi rocked Magavia, who took a lot of blows to the head. In the seventh round, Kazzi landed a series of punches that caused referee Soulis to stop play, possibly prematurely, much to Magavia’s displeasure.

Lightweight Amed Reda (3-0, 3 KO) defeated super featherweight Joe Kara (5-7-1, 5 KO) by knockout in the second round of a scheduled six-round fight.