Sam Goodman overcomes broken hand to beat Chainoi Worawut and keep Inoue fight in play

Junior featherweight contender Sam ‘The Ghost’ Goodman’s decision to take an interim fight before challenging Ring junior featherweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue always looked like a risky move.

And during the mid-rounds of his bout against Thailand’s Chainoi ‘Rock Man’ Worawut at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia on Wednesday night, it looked like it wouldn’t pay off. But in the end, Goodman was able to pull off a unanimous decision win to keep his chances to fight Inoue alive.

The 25-year-old from Albion Park got the better of the action through the first four rounds, dictating the exchanges and using his handspeed, footwork and angles to land the cleaner, sharper shots.

Worawut, 27, had pockets of success in the middle rounds, but the cleaner work was coming from Goodman, who says he injured his left mitt around this stage of the fight.

The seventh heat saw great two-way action, and the visitor turned the tables on Goodman with his high-volume, accurate punching. Goodman settled in the eighth behind his jab, looking to conserve energy ahead of a big run home.

Goodman looked fatigued to start the ninth as both boxers traded short shots in close. The fight was paused with 30 seconds left in the round to fix some loose tape on Worawut’s glove. The short break appeared to energize Goodman, who likely stole the round with the last half-minute of action.

The 10th was another all-action affair with Worawut pushing Goodman back while the local fighter tried to walk his opponent on to shots. A counter right hand from Goodman in the last minute of the round snapped Worawut’s head back. It was the punch of the round.

Goodman got back behind the jab in the 11th and utilized his clever footwork to avoid Worawut’s big right hand bombs. It was a clever strategy from The Ring’s number four contender at 122-pounds, who tagged his opponent any time he managed to close the distance and banked another round.

In the 12th Goodman continued boxing on his toes, using his speed, timing and movement to keep Worawut off balance and guessing.

When the final bell rang it was not a question of who won, but by how much.

Judge Chris Aliendi scored the bout 119-109, while judges Leanne Reid and Will Soulos handed in card of 117-113 and 117-111 respectively, all three for Goodman. With the win, Goodman moves to (19-0, 8 KOs). Worawut falls to (25-1-1, 15 KOs).

Goodman was expecting to face Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) in December this year after the 27-year-old Japanese phenom has one more hit-out in September. That will all depend on the state of his left hand.

“It was hurting in round four or six,” Goodman said post-fight.

“Later in the fight I felt it go even more. We’ll got get a scan. It shouldn’t keep me out for too long. I should be right by year’s end for the world title.

“We want ‘The Monster’. We’re coming for him. We’ll go get this hand looked at and we’ll go.”