SYDNEY, Australia – Sam Goodman responded to his first defeat by recording the most satisfying of victories over his fellow Australian Tyler Blizzard.
It was in August when Goodman lost for the first time as a professional, to the WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball.
In his attempts to rebuild he was matched with his long-time rival Blizzard, who defeated him as an amateur on an evening he is still to forget.
After 10 competitive rounds Goodman, 27, was awarded a unanimous decision victory via two scores of 100-90 and another of 99-91.
When he reflects on what unfolded he regardless may yet recognise that the three judges flattered him and that Blizzard was a narrower loser than their scorecards would suggest.
Goodman is perhaps at his best when he fights with intensity and throws punches at a high volume, and to that end that’s how he approached the fight with Blizzard, also 27, from the opening bell.
He had spoken, pre-fight, of his expectation that Blizzard would repeatedly prioritise his left hook, but he still struggled to evade it and from the second round at the TikTok Entertainment Centre it threatened to tell.
A left-overhand right combination snapped Goodman’s head back in the third, and while Goodman successfully responded when Blizzard was towards the ropes, his response came at the expense of a right hand.
Another right hand from Blizzard, followed by them trading at close range, followed in the fourth, when it was tempting to conclude that Goodman was intimidated by Blizzard again proving better than expected.
When in the fifth Goodman fell short with a right hand after absorbing another left hook – Blizzard had also swung and missed with a wild right – his former sparring partner was outboxing him on account of his cleaner work and better quality punching.
It was thereafter that Goodman’s superior experience regardless proved influential. He had entered his 22nd fight, against Blizzard’s 11th; it was also similarly relevant that Blizzard had only once previously fought over 10 rounds.
When in the sixth Goodman succeeded to the body it was noticeable that Blizzard’s pace was slowing. Blizzard fell short with a right and was countered with a right; Blizzard landed another right but Goodman responded with a right-left-right to remain in the ascendancy.
Goodman’s legs were noticeably fresher, and even while Blizzard remained competitive Goodman’s success to the body started to increase.
When Blizzard struggled to follow punching with authority during the eighth to instead be outworked during the ninth Goodman finally looked on course for victory.
Blizzard slowed further in the 10th and Goodman continued to fight at pace, ensuring that he deserved the victory that was then confirmed, just not by the generous margins he was awarded.
Callum Peters had by then won the vacant Australian middleweight title when he stopped in the sixth round Cody Beekin, having twice dropped him in the third.
Koen Mazoudier defended the Australian junior-middleweight title via split decision over Dominic Molinaro, following curious scores of 94-96, 97-93 and 98-92.
Ahmad Reda defended the Australian junior-welterweight title by stopping in six rounds Wayne Telepe, having been slapped by Telepe at Tuesday’s weigh-in.
