Sam Goodman In Perfect Position To Fight For A World Title
Super bantamweight contender Sam “The Ghost” Goodman (22-1, 8 KO’s) picked up a hard-fought unanimous decision over Rodrigo Ruiz (23-2, 17 KO’s) to the tune of 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113. Even better, along with Ruiz’s scalp, Goodman inched one notch closer to a title shot as this duel was an IBF super bantamweight title eliminator.
Naturally, Goodman would love to dance with IBF 122-pound champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue (32-0, 27KO) in his next at-bat. Unfortunately for him, Inoue has a previously scheduled engagement with “Big Bang” Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24KO) on May 2. The Ghost may just wait for the results of the Inoue vs Nakatani winner before deciding on what the next move will be.
However, Goodman, ranked #5 (IBF), #5 (WBC), and #6 (WBA), is sitting in a very good position to fight for a title. Rumor has it that Inoue, win or lose, may move up in weight after the Nakatani fight. This means Goodman could face Japanese pugilist Ryosuke Nishida (11-1, 2 KO’s) possibly for the vacant IBF or WBC titles. Nishida is ranked #1 (IBF) and #3 (WBC) picked up a points win over Bryan Vazquez this past February 15.
In addition, Goodman could target Gary Antonio Russell (21-1, 13 KO’s) in a possible WBA title eliminator. Russell, ranked #5 (WBA), is on a two-fight win streak but hasn’t been in the ring since August 2025.
Whatever happens in the upcoming weeks, one thing is for sure: Goodman is right in the middle of all the action.
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