IT feels odd to see Sam Goodman preparing for a fight against an opponent not named Naoya Inoue. Whether that fight actually ever happens remains to be seen. In the meantime, Inoue has moved on and so must the Aussie challenger who returns to action tomorrow in Sydney against Cesar Vaca.
Twice Goodman was scheduled to fight Inoue and twice he was ruled out with cuts, causing a period of immense frustration for all parties involved, not least Goodman himself who has not been one to shirk a challenge across 19 professional outings. July was the last time he appeared in the ring, outpointing Thailand’s Thachtana Luangphon in a supposed final outing before tackling ‘The Monster’.
That was not be. Now Vaca awaits in a 10-round keep-busy affair at the Hordern Pavilion. Goodman’s homeland promoters No Limit Boxing are running the show which will be televised on Australia Fox and Main Event.
While Goodman is a natural 122-pounder, this one is a featherweight fight with both men arriving slightly under 124 pounds at the weigh-in. No championship restrictions here, but there will be no lack of effort as Vaca, 19-1-1 (12 KOs), regularly brings the heat. The Mexican is only 23, having turned pro young, in line with national tradition, but has packed a lot into those seven years.
The sole defeat on Vaca’s record came in 2023 to Erik Robles Ayala who went into that fight off the back of a career-best win over Lee McGregor. Goodman, 19-0 (8 KOs), needs to get this one out of the way and probably fight again over the upcoming months, then hope Inoue glances in his direction once more.
Former victim Ra’eese Aleem returned to the ring earlier in the month to outpoint Rudy Garcia over 10 rounds on a Top Rank show. Goodman, 26, showed the first glimpses of a potentially top-level skillset while beating Aleem in the summer of 2023.
A win over TJ Doheny six months beforehand has aged nicely, too. Goodman’s bad luck can’t continue forever, and hopefully, he can get through this bout unscathed. Any sighting of blood from the old cut scars during this fight would be a devastating further setback for the Albion Park fighter.
Sam Goodman vs. Cesar Vaca Fight Prediction
Vaca has done the 10-round distance three times, so he will have no problem pacing himself for this one. Goodman is a high-energy, calculated operator who doesn’t bang particularly hard or fight like a puncher.
The knockouts (Mark Schleibs aside) dried up since he stepped into the higher realms towards world-class. Vaca will push him all the way. Expect Goodman to pull away, using his stamina and experience to box to a competitive yet clear decision victory.
