Sam Goodman demonstrated Sunday afternoon that he is ready for a junior featherweight world title shot.
The 24-year-old Australian knocked off previously unbeaten American Ra’eese Aleem in their 12-round IBF elimination match on the Tim Tszyu-Carlos Ocampo undercard at Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. Goodman withstood Aleem’s body attack, made the awkward Aleem miss with many of his head shots, fought more aggressively than usual and landed enough jabs, left hooks and right hands to win a split decision.
Judges Adam Height (117-111) and Daniel Sandoval (116-112) respectively scored nine and eight rounds for Goodman. Judge Masakazu Murase scored eight rounds for Aleem, who won 116-112 on his card.
Goodman moved closer toward a shot at newly crowned IBF junior featherweight champion Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs). He entered their fight ranked fourth by the IBF, one spot above Aleem, who also is ranked second by the WBO and seventh by the WBA.
“It was tough early,” Goodman said during his post-fight interview with Ben Damon. “He was awkward. He hit me with about 30 head-butts every round. I was hearing it was coming from punches, but f****** bullocks! F****** head-butts all day, honestly. But I’m just so pumped right now.”
Goodman defeated former IBF junior featherweight champ TJ Doheny by unanimous decision in his previous fight, a 10-rounder March 12 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. But Aleem, 32, is considered a fresher fighter than Doheny and had been ascending toward a title shot.
Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) went 12 rounds for the first time in his career, as did Las Vegas’ Aleem (20-1, 12 KOs).
“He’s a tough competitor,” Goodman said. “And like I said, he comes at you with some really awkward stuff. But all credit to him, it was a big test. I knew early on I had to be smart, give him the respect, and I knew I’d be able to go forward and go through him. That’s my strength, in those later rounds. Doubt me that I’m a 12-round fighter – I just showed ya.”
Goodman and Aleem went at it to start the 12th and final round as if they knew their fight would be close on the scorecards, which wasn’t the case.
Goodman landed a counter left hook several seconds after the halfway point of the 12th round. Goodman’s right hand made Aleem create some space between them a minute into the 12th round.
Aleem countered Goodman with a left hook with about 40 seconds to go in the 11th round. Aleem drilled Goodman with a left hook to his head at exactly the midway mark of the 11th round.
Aleem landed a left hook to Goodman’s head, but he was then warned for following up with a low left to Goodman’s body with just under 30 seconds on the clock in the 10th round. Goodman pressed the action again in the 10th round and mostly kept Aleem on his back foot.
Aleem snuck in a left hook to Goodman’s head with just under 10 seconds to go in the ninth round.
Aleem’s right hand landed with just over 1:10 remaining in the ninth round. Goodman connected with a right hand about 40 seconds into the ninth round.
Goodman blasted Aleem with a right hand that landed with just under 20 seconds to go in the eighth round. Goodman pressed the action for much of that eighth round and worked well off his jab.
Aleem finished a combination with a right hand approximately 30 seconds into the seventh round, which amounted to a strong three minutes for him.
A cut opened above Goodman’s left eye in the middle minute of the sixth round. Goodman caught Aleem with a flush left hook 1:10 into the sixth round.
Goodman countered Aleem with a right hand barely 50 seconds into the sixth round. Aleem landed a right hand in an exchange 30 seconds into the sixth round.
Goodman boxed well and slipped many of Aleem’s punches in the fifth round. Aleem’s left to the body landed with about 55 seconds to go in the fifth round.
Goodman snapped back Aleem’s head with a stiff jab that landed with just under 20 seconds on the clock in the fourth round. Aleem continued to go after Goodman’s body for most of the fourth round, when Goodman’s jab often kept Aleem at a distance.
Aleem’s left hook to the body landed with under a minute to go in the third round. Goodman countered Aleem with a right hand when there was just under 1:25 on the clock in the third round.
Both boxers used their jabs effectively in the second round.
Aleem landed a left hook about 55 seconds into the opening round. Goodman connected with a left hook of his own about 15 seconds later in a first round that was fought at a fast pace.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.