No Limit promoter Matt Rose had only just finished parking his car outside the Sydney gym hosting what was to be Sam Goodman’s last sparring session on Saturday morning when his iPhone started ringing.
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No Limit promoter Matt Rose had only just finished parking his car outside the Sydney gym hosting what was to be Sam Goodman’s last sparring session on Saturday morning when his iPhone started ringing.
“Pete Mitrevski,” he says, referencing Goodman’s manager.
And from there?
“Mate,” he deadpans, “I’ve never been involved in anything like it”.
Indeed, in the precious few moments it took Rose to get through the front door of Mitrevski’s Sutherland gym, Goodman was already sat, distraught, in a stairwell, blood still trickling from a cut above his left eye.
For all intents and purposes, his world title blockbuster with Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue not simply off, but perhaps lost forever.
Deader than disco.
Whatever you want to call it.
But now?
It’s back on.
Same venue, but on January 24.
But as for when Rose entered that gym early Saturday morning?
Well, what he found was Goodman sat slumped on those stairs as around the room, some 40 people — including the fighter’s father, Steve — stood about in complete silence.
Nobody exactly sure what they had just witnessed or, worse, what it now meant.
So foreboding was the mood, Rose told his children to go wait outside.
“Because the entire room, it was like the life had been taken from it,” he recounted to Fox Sports Australia soon after, and in between who knows how many phone calls to and from Japan.
“It’s just devastating.”
Less than a fortnight out from Goodman’s hyped showdown with Japanese boxing megastar Naoya Inoue, the undefeated Aussie has endured a chaotic Saturday that saw him so badly cut in his sparring session before jetting out for Tokyo, the fight was initially said to be off.
Within an hour of the incident, ESPN boxing journalist Mike Coppinger was reporting that Inoue’s team were frantically searching for a late replacement for December 24, although Rose stressed to Fox Sports Australia that he had also told them – if willing to reschedule — his charge can be “ready to go in six weeks”.
Should Inoue have been able to find a replacement on just 10 days notice however, he would have been taking part in his third fight of the year and the third defense of his undisputed championship.
He would also fulfill another mandatory obligation.
A cancellation would also mean Goodman went back into the queue for a fight with the 31-year-old, who also owes a mandatory defense to Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Inoue, who hasn’t competed in the US in three years, is also in talks about fighting in Las Vegas come April.
Yet within hours of the cut taking place, and not long after Goodman himself took to Instagram saying he hoped the fight could be rescheduled, Inoue declared it would.
The news capped off an incredible day for Goodman.
Immediately after being cut, the fighter removed his headgear to reveal the injury, with blood trickling down his fighter.
Soon after, he was insisting to his team that he could still proceed with the bout, but was talked down by head coach Joel Keegan and manager Mitrevski.
Then by Saturday afternoon, Goodman released a video on Instagram to try and bring at least some clarity to the situation
“Hey everyone,” he started.
“Just wanted to let everyone know what happened this morning.
“I was having my last spar before we flew out to Tokyo and, by freak accident, just got cut resulting in four stitches.
“And if I had it my way, I’d like to proceed with the fight.
“But taking on a guy like this, my team, ah, my team were just saying I wouldn’t have the same team in my corner letting me go into a fight like this compromised.
“And I’m absolutely devastated to be doing this.
“But it is what it is.
“I just want to say sorry to everyone who was coming over.
“I know how hard it was to make that decision and come over and support me, especially this time of year.
“Sorry also to everyone in Japan who was also excited for this fight.
“To Inoue and his team, I know they would’ve been preparing hard for this fight and I don’t want my opportunity to go anywhere.
“I want to fight this guy.
“This has been a 14-week camp but this has been the last 15 years of my life, everything I’ve ever done to get into this position and to take this guy on.
“I just want the chance to have a crack against him for all those belts.
“And hopefully we can get it on sooner rather than later once this cut heals up.”
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No Limit, meanwhile, said they would scramble to keep their man in the mix.
“We’ll get on and do our work,” said Rose, who the previous evening had held the final No Limit on Fox event for 2024 at Sydney’s The Star.
An action packed night that saw headliner Brock Jarvis call out Nikita Tszyu, commentator Michael Zerafa call out Tim Tszyu and Olympian Callum Peters make his professional debut via first round finish.
Elsewhere, Australia’s new boxing princess, Jasmine Parr, suffered a contentious split decision loss that she branded afterwards as “dodgy s…” and “highway robbery”.
And while all of this leaves Rose with plenty to consider, it quickly took a backseat to the drama that arrived midway through what started out a wonderfully sunny Saturday.
“And to be honest with you,” Rose continued, “it’s so hard for Sam to even comprehend what’s just happened.
“The sacrifices he’s made in the past 12 weeks, they’re up there with the biggest sacrifices you can make in your life.
“And he’s been looking so brilliant.”
In the last spar of a preparation so tough only Goodman will truly ever know the cost, the fighter was cut open – believed to be by an uppercut — in just the third round by Brad Strand, the Englishman flown in at some cost to help ready Goodman for the greatest win in the nation’s boxing history.
And according to Tim Tszyu, one the five greatest moments in Australian sport – period.
Instead, the fighter who now lives and trains out of the Central Coast was taken to hospital, where he received four stitches.
“By the time I walked in, Sam was sat in the stairwell,” Rose recounted.
“I couldn’t believe it.
“I’ve never seen anyone in professional sport look more devastated.
“I just really felt for him.
“Last sparring session and he’d had 5the headgear on, had done everything right …”
Understandably for a fighter who boasts the biggest supporter group in Australian boxing, Goodman had a crowd of more than 40 – including his closest family and friends – present for what was to be his final session before jetting out for Japan on Sunday.
St George Illawarra coach Shane Flanagan and son Kyle were among those present, as was the fighter’s dad – who has never missed one of his son’s professional fights and has travelled with him for amateur bouts in the United States, the UK and Russia.
Steve and wife Roxanne were also due to fly to Japan next Friday with a large contingent of their son’s supporter crew, famously dubbed ‘The Mad Bunch’.
As revealed by Fox Sports Australia this week, Goodman had already outlaid 5.5 million Japanese yen – or the equivalent of $56,000 — to ensure the group could bypass the unique ticketing lottery that occurs for Inoue fights.
So popular is the super bantamweight king when fighting at home, fans seeking to attend are forced to go into the same type of ticket lottery usually reserved for sporting events like the Olympics.
And with Goodman having a whopping crew of family and friends travelling to watch the fight on Christmas Eve, he had a unique clause written into his contract allowing him to buy a seat for all of them.
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Speaking only a day earlier during his Friday lunch break, father Steve had also talked with Fox Sports Australia for some time about the trip, the Mad Bunch and how, together, and at the request of his son, they would all celebrate Christmas Day together the morning after.
Yet that certainly wasn’t the mood Rose entered into.
“Walking into the gym, I can only say the life had gone completely from the room,” the promoter deadpanned.
“There was over 40 people there, a lot of people, and all of them were emotionless.
“I saw Sammy’s dad, Steve and … I dunno what to say.
“It’s all so devastating.
“Right now, all we can do is let Inoue’s team know that Sam will fight if they wish to reschedule.”
Rose added the enormity of Goodman’s fight only added to the heartache for everyone involved.
“This moment, it was so rare,” he said.
“You’re not simply fighting for a world title, but looking to bring down the greatest fighter on earth.
“So it’s just devastating.
“We’ve spoken with the guys in Japan and let them know what has transpired with the cut.
“Let them know Sam won’t be available for that date.
“We could do six weeks, eight weeks if they wish to reschedule.
“We now wait and see.”
Within hours, the team had the news they were hoping for.
A major star in Japan, Inoue sold out the Tokyo Dome in May when he knocked out Luis Nery with 50,000-plus in attendance.
Then in September, Inoue retained all four of his super bantamweight straps with a seventh-round TKO of Irishman TJ Doheny, who also now resides in Australia.
While Goodman had opened as wide as 14/1 underdog with some bookmakers, the former Illawarra Steelers barman was convinced he was ready to go shock the world against Inoue.
Now, wonderfully, he gets that chance.
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