Sam Goodman will return from his first defeat when he fights his fellow Australian Tyler Blizzard on the undercard of Tim Tszyu-Anthony Velazquez on December 17.
He moved up to featherweight when in August he challenged the WBA champion Nick Ball and, regardless of his defeat via unanimous decision, he will remain there for the contest at the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia.
The junior middleweight Tszyu, 31, fights for the first time since recruiting the Miami-based Cuban to be his new trainer. Velazquez has been identified as the opponent against which to attempt to rebuild, following a run of three defeats in four fights — twice against Sebastian Fundora, before and after his damaging defeat by Bakhram Murtazaliev, which preceded the sole victory, over Joey Spencer.
“December 17 is my chance to get back on track,” said Tszyu. “The past 18 months have tested me and humbled me, but coming home for this fight in Sydney has given me a new sense of clarity and purpose. The Tszyu family has never lost on Australian soil and that legacy means everything to me.
“I’m not the same fighter, despite what critics may say. I’m sharper, hungrier, and more driven because of what I’ve gone through.
“I’m grateful to No Limit Boxing and to everyone who stayed positive despite things not going my way recently. On December 17 I’m fighting for my family, my team, my supporters, and for anyone who has ever been knocked down and chosen to rise again. This is my chance to remind everyone who I am and where I belong.”
Tszyu represents both the highest-profile and most-proven opponent of the 29-year-old Velazquez's 19-fight career.
“I’m excited,” the American said. “This is my biggest opportunity so far and I’m looking to take advantage of it.
“I’ve seen a couple of his fights, he’s had a great career so far but I’m coming to Australia to win. I believe in myself, I believe in my skills, I believe in my ability and I believe I’m going to win this fight. I think I can win in multiple ways, so I’m going to just fight my fight and however it plays out, it’s just win. I’m looking forward to the energy from the Australian fans because it doesn’t mean anything. At the end of the day, it’s just us in the ring with the gloves on who decides the outcome.”
The 10-round contests between Tszyu and Velazquez and Goodman and Blizzard — both featherweights are 27 years old — will be preceded by the fifth fight in the career of the promising Australian middleweight Callum Peters, who has been matched with Cody Beekin.
Full Fight Card
· Tim Tszyu, 25-3 (18 KOs) vs. Anthony Velazquez, 18-0-1 (15 KOs), 10 rounds, 160lbs
· Sam Goodman, 20-1 (8 KOs) vs. Tyler Blizzard. 10-0 (4 KOs) - 10 rounds, 126lbs
· Callum Peters, 4-0 (4 KOs) vs. Cody Beekin, 8-2 (5 KOs) - 10 rounds, 160lbs
· Ahmad Reda, 7-0 (5 KOs) vs. Jomar Paliwen, 7-1-2 (5 KOs) - 6 rounds, 135lbs
· Charlie Kazzi, 9-0 (4 KOs) vs. Blair Geraghty, 4-0, 4 KOs) - 6 rounds, 135lbs
· Paulo Aokuso, 8-0 (4 KOs) vs. Shukhrat Abdullaev, 5-0 (4 KOs) - 6 rounds, 175lbs
· Koen Mazoudier, 14-4-1 (6 KOs) vs. Dominic Molinaro, 5-0 (2 KOs), 10 rounds, 154lbs
· Dharringarra Trewhella, 6-0 (3 KOs) vs. Kya Sparks, 3-0 (3 KOs) - 5 rounds, 147lbs
· Blake Wells, 12-2 (5 KOs) vs. Quinton Smith, 2-1 (2 KOs) - 6 rounds, 160lbs
Declan Warrington has been writing about boxing for the British and Irish national newspapers since 2010. He is also a long-term contributor to Boxing News, Boxing News Presents and Talksport, and formerly the boxing correspondent for the Press Association, a pundit for BoxNation and a regular contributor to Boxing Monthly, Sport and The Ring, among other publications. In 2023, he conducted the interviews and wrote the script for the audio documentary “Froch-Groves: The Definitive Story”; he is also a member of the BWAA.
