Naoya Inoue: Undisputed super-bantamweight champion to defend titles against Sam Goodman on December 24 live on Sky Sports

boxing Tuesday 29 October 2024 09:32, UK

Undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his titles against Sam Goodman on December 24, live on Sky Sports.

Japanese star Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will make an unprecedented third defence of his undisputed crown within a single calendar year as he seeks a 10th successive stoppage victory.

The unbeaten Goodman will start as a major underdog at Tokyo's Ariake Arena despite his record of 19-0 with eight stoppage wins, with the Australian set to box away from home for the first time in his professional career.

The bout, billed as 'Nightmare on Christmas Eve' will provide a treat for UK boxing fans on the morning of December 24, with Tokyo eight hours ahead of the United Kingdom.

Inoue became undisputed bantamweight champion when he stopped Paul Butler in December 2022, before moving up in weight and continuing to dominate.

In 2023, he stopped Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales to capture all four super-bantamweight titles, and then defended them with wins over Luis Nery and TJ Doheny earlier in 2024.

Goodman has also claimed two victories this year, stopping Mark Schleibs in March before comfortably outpointing Thachtana Luangphon in July.

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here