2024 will officially be Naoya Inoue’s first three-fight year since 2017, as Top Rank announced that he’ll face IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman on December 24th at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
Inoue (28-0, 25 KO) opened the year by getting off the canvas to flatten Luis Nery, satisfying Japan’s long-held grudge against the former bantamweight titlist. Rather than jump right into a mandatory defense against Goodman (19-0, 8 KO), who’d edged out Ra’eese Aleem in a final eliminator last year but wound up breaking his hand in a decision over Chainoi Worawut, “The Monster” took a detour against TJ Doheny and scored another violent finish.
Goodman is a very solid fighter, both skilled and super active, but he suffers from the same flaw as so many of his super bantamweight contemporaries: not being Naoya Inoue.
As for the rest of the card, WBO bantamweight champ Yoshiki Takei (10-0, 8 KO) looks to continue a banner year against TBA and welterweight Jin Sasaki (18-1-1, 17 KO), who sits in all four sanctioning bodies’ top fives, stays busy against Shoki Sakai (29-14-3, 15 KO).