At the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia, unbeaten super bantamweight contender Sam Goodman arrived on the world stage.
In a brisk, active and entertaining battle, Australian boxer Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) used his jab and aggression to out-work and upset previously undefeated Ra'eese Aleem by split decision in an IBF 122-pound title eliminator in the night’s co-feature.
Goodman won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 to remain undefeated and move a step closer to a title shot, while Aleem dropped to 20-1 with 12 KOs. The third official judge actually scored the fight for Aleem with a head-scratching tally of 116-112.
Despite Aleem’s dedicated body attack, the judges rewarded Goodman’s forward-moving charge, especially in the second half of the fight when Goodman seemed to rev his offense into another gear.
After his corner told him to pick it up, Goodman out-landed Aleem 78-61 in rounds 8-12 and won five of the last six rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards.
Entering the bout, Goodman was tabbed as the underdog and Aleem was widely regarded as a fighter who many top contenders avoided in the last few years.
However, Goodman was able to rise to occasion to prove the critics wrong.
“That was tough early, he was awkward,” the 24-year-old Goodman said. “I’m so pumped, words can’t explain the work me and my team put into this. This is the start. My heart was through the roof [when I learned it was a split decision]. He’s a tough competitor. He comes in with awkward stuff. It was a big test.
"I knew early on I had to be smart and give him respect and I’d come through in the later rounds. We’re coming for those straps. We’re coming for them.”
