Ed Odeven 
Naoya Inoue trains on December 4 at Ohashi Boxing Gym in Yokohama. (©SANKEI)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Naoya Inoue Title Fight Postponed Until January 24
Sam Goodman sustained a cut above his left eye that required four stitches during a training session on Saturday morning, December 14 in Sydney. As a result, his super bantamweight title bout with unbeaten, undisputed champion Naoya Inoue has been postponed.
The fight, which was set for December 24 at Tokyo's Ariake Arena, has already been rescheduled.
Therefore, it will be the first blockbuster fight of 2025 to be held in Japan.
Inoue vs Goodman is now penciled in for January 24 at the same venue.
The 31-year-old Inoue will be making his 24th consecutive appearance in a world title bout, a significant reminder of his sustained excellence in the upper echelon of the sport.
Goodman described the injury as a "freak accident" during what was to be his final sparring session before he traveled to Japan for the Christmas Eve fight, according to Australian media reports.
Naoya Inoue Reacts to Opponent's Injury
How did Inoue react to the news?
He issued a short declaration on X (formerly Twitter): "Let's fight each other at our best."
Additional time to fight could be a blessing in disguise for Inoue.
"I think it is only positive for me that they will give me another month to prepare [to face Goodman]," Inoue posted on X on Saturday.
He added, "I will prepare the best and show you the best match possible."
In his most recent fight on September 3 against Irish foe TJ Doheny, Inoue recorded a seventh-round technical knockout at Ariake Arena.
Inoue is 28-0 with 25 knockouts and is recognized globally as one of boxing's elite pound-for-pound fighters. He was named The Ring magazine's 2023 Fighter of the Year.
Goodman Says He's 'Absolutely Devastated'
Goodman, 26, is 19-0 with eight KOs. The Australian is the IBF's and WBO's top-ranked contender. He is coming off a July 10 unanimous-decision victory over Thai opponent Thachtana Luangphon in Wollongong, Australia.
"I'm absolutely devastated to be doing this," Goodman said of the postponement of his fight with Inoue. He said his team wouldn't let him face Inoue while compromised by the injury.
Goodman also issued an apology in a short video message on his Instagram page: "I just want to say sorry to everyone who's coming over [to Japan]. And I know how hard it was to make that decision to come over and support me, especially this time of year."
He continued: "And sorry to everyone in Japan who's also excited for this fight, and to Inoue and his team as well. I know they would've been preparing hard for a good fight. [And] I just don't want my opportunity to go anywhere, I want to fight this guy."
Continue reading the full story, which includes news items on soccer, golf and more, on SportsLook.
RELATED:
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- [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Naoya Inoue Returns to the Ring with Laser-Sharp Focus
- Naoya Inoue Defends Super Bantamweight Titles with a 7th-Round TKO of TJ Doheny
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
