Sam Goodman says he’s going to go “right through” the wrecking ball WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball in their 12-round chief support fight this Saturday in Riyadh. Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) isn’t intimidated by the high-pressure, roughhouse style that the 5’2″ Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) utilizes.
Ball vs. Goodman in Riyadh
Hopefully, for fans, Goodman, 26, can make it a competitive fight and potentially score an upset over Ball. The headliner between heavyweights, Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte, is expected to be a blowout. So the fans get their money’s worth for the $49.99 event on DAZN PPV, it could come down to Goodman to give them something exciting to justify the high cost.
It’s disappointing that Ball has selected Goodman from the super bantamweight division. If it were the first time that Ball has chosen a fighter from the 122-lb division to defend his WBA 126-lb belt against, you could overlook it. But this is the third straight time, meaning that this is being done by design to help Ball hold onto his title.
There’s no other way of looking at it because the guys Ball has picked aren’t from the murderer’ row. His two other title defenses against super bantamweights were against 38-year-old TJ Doheny and 34-year-old Ronny Rios.
Goodman’s Lifelong Dream on DAZN
“I’m feeling great. I’m stoked to be here, and I’m ready to do the job,” said Sam Goodman to DAZN Boxing during today’s Grand Arrivals in Riyadh for his fight against WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball on Saturday. “I’m ready to handle business. So, I prepared well, prepared hard, and I’m ready.”
Goodman isn’t a puncher. That’s going to make it hard for him because he lacks the power to keep Ball off of him the way a good featherweight would do. That’s if Ball were willing to fight someone from the 126-lb division, which he’s been reluctant to do.
“This is a lifelong goal and dream that me and my team had. We’ve worked relentlessly towards it. We’re ready to achieve it this Sunday,” said Goodman. “I’m going to absolutely go right through him. That’s what I’m going to do,” said Sam when told that the ‘wrecking ball’ Nick Ball is going to be going right at him on Saturday.
Can Ball Keep His Belt?
“Straight to it, all action. I see what I got to do on the night and on the job,” said Ball. “Now that I’ve got it, I don’t want to let it go. I’m hungrier. You’ve got to stay focused on the main thing that got you here, which is the fighting. I see Moses [Itauma] winning in a big performance,” said Nick, making his pick for the main event.
