Sam Goodman pulls out of world title fight against Naoya Inoue in Japan

Australian boxer Sam Goodman's world title dream has suffered a major blow, as he has been forced to withdraw from his bout against Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue, a fight that had already been rescheduled due to prior circumstances. Goodman sustained an injury during training four weeks ago, leading to the postponement of his world title fight against Inoue, originally slated for just before Christmas, to January 24th.

However, the Sydney-based boxing prospect has encountered another setback, forcing him to withdraw again from the super bantamweight title fight. "No Limit Boxing regrets to announce that Sam Goodman has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Naoya Inoue on January 24th due to a recurrence of an eye injury," the promoters stated in a release on Saturday.

Last month, the 26-year-old Goodman suffered an "accidental incident" during sparring at a Sydney gym, requiring four stitches. He initially worried about missing the opportunity to challenge undefeated champion Inoue, who boasts an impressive record of 25 knockouts in 28 fights and is currently one of the most watched fighters in the sport. This withdrawal is undoubtedly a significant blow to Goodman's career.

The promoters added in their statement, "We wish Sam a speedy recovery and will provide updates on the event in due course."