Nick Ball – Sam Goodman: Who Wins, And Who Might Go On To Face “Monster” Inoue?

Australian warrior Sam Goodman was twice set to fight super-bantamweight ruler, Naoya “Monster” Inoue, only for a serious case of bad luck turning up twice, in the form of Goodman suffering cuts in sparring. Nick Ball very much wants to fight Inoue, in a fight that would welcome the pound-for-pound star to the featherweight division.

Ball vs. Goodman: Fight of the Night?

On Saturday, August 16, on the stacked card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ball and Goodman will square off with one another, the two men putting their unbeaten records on the line, with Ball risking his WBA 126-pound belt. It could prove to be the fight of the night.

Ball, 22-0-1(13) is deservedly recognised as one of the most consistently exciting lower-weight fighters on the scene today. Goodman, 20-0(8) is a talented boxer who has in his arsenal some cute moves. Ball, the natural featherweight – what with Goodman having made the move up from 122 pounds for the title chance he now has – will be looking to bully his challenger, this and overwhelm him with the kind of non-stop barrage of punches he has delivered in plenty of his fights.

Very much a clash of styles, and a most intriguing one, a good case can be made for Goodman being able to outbox Ball, at least for a while. In contrast, a good case can be made for Ball’s “Wrecking Ball” strength, power, and sheer aggression getting Goodman out of there.

For the winner, that massive fight with Inoue will remain a possibility, while the loser will face a tough road back, even if a loss on Saturday would be the first for either man (what price a draw here!)

The heavyweights will take the main stage on August 16, with the Moses Itauma-Dillian Whyte fight headlining, and with Filip Hrgovic-David Adeleye also going down. But again, to repeat, the Ball-Goodman fight could prove to be the best, most exciting, and most competitive fight of the night.

Pick: Ball – who is the UK’s sole world champion right now – to edge a determined Goodman by close decision in a fight that is so good, and so close, it has fans calling for a rematch.