Naoya Inoue’s title defence postponed after training injury as new date revealed

Naoya Inoue’s planned Christmas Eve clash with Sam Goodman has been postponed after the Australian challenger suffered an eye injury.

Goodman had been due to take on the Japanese fighter for the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO super bantamweight belts on 24 December in Tokyo.

But the 26-year-old sustained the facial injury while training ahead of the fight, with reports suggesting that he needed stiches to patch up a significant wound.

It has forced the pushing back of the fight by a month to Friday 24 January at Ariake Arena in the capital of Japan.

“I’m sorry to everyone who was looking forward to it,” 31-year-old Inoue wrote on his X account.

“We hope you will come again on the new dates. Let’s fight at our best.”

The marquee match-up between unbeaten fighters will pit the great Inoue against a rising force in Goodman.

Inoue, 31, has won 25 of his 28 professional bouts by knockout on his way to becoming a four-weight world champion. He is one of only three male boxers to become undisputed champion in two weight classes.

Goodman last beat Thailand’s Chainoi Worawut by unanimous decision to improve his career record to 19-0.

Yet to fight outside his native Australia, he challenged Inoue in May during a post-fight interview following a dominant win over Luis Nery.