Sam Goodman Withdraws From Naoya Inoue Title Fight Due to Eye Injury

The January 24 fight in Tokyo has been canceled after Goodman suffered a recurrence of a previous sparring injury, leaving Inoue seeking a new opponent.

• Australian boxer Sam Goodman has withdrawn from his scheduled January 24 title fight against Japan's Naoya Inoue due to a reopened eye injury sustained during sparring.
• The fight had already been rescheduled from its original December 24 date after Goodman initially suffered the injury in training last month.
• Goodman required plastic surgery for the injury, which will sideline him for approximately six months, according to sources from his promotion team, No Limit Boxing.
• Naoya Inoue, the undefeated super-bantamweight world champion with a 28-0 record, is seeking a replacement opponent on short notice to defend his titles in Tokyo.
• This would have been Inoue’s third title defense since becoming the undisputed super-bantamweight champion in December 2023, cementing his legacy as one of boxing's all-time greats.

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