As fans have no doubt read, the Naoya Inoue Vs. Sam Goodman fight is off again, and very possibly for good. This was after the unbelievably unlucky Goodman suffered another injury to the eye that was damaged, which caused the postponement of his December 24th fight with the unified super-bantamweight ruler.
Goodman will be absolutely devastated, with some reports saying he will need plastic surgery and could be out of action for as long as six months. But Inoue needs to move on, and he is doing so. Keeping the Jan. 24 date alive, “The Monster” will now look to devour some late-notice prey. Stepping in with just 13 days to go is South Korea’s Ye Joon Kim. Kim, aged 32, has never been stopped and he is 21-2-2(13) overall. Nicknamed “Pacquiweather,” the man from Seoul has won his last two and he last boxed in May of this year.
Currently ranked No. 11 by the WBO, therefore eligible to box for the WBO title, Kim is unranked by the three other organizations. Still, reports say the upcoming fight will see Inoue defend all four of his 122-pound belts. This fight will mark a huge step up in class for Kim, a man who has never before fought anyone remotely as good or as special as Inoue, 28-0(25). So, Kim, a man with a most memorable nickname, now gets a chance to make a huge name for himself and he will enter the Inoue fight knowing he basically has nothing to lose.
This could make Kim dangerous, as he could just go for it and come out swinging. Inoue might be an off-the-board favorite here, or close to it, but credit goes out to Kim for agreeing to come in and save the show. Inoue will be looking to score another KO win, and he most likely will do so.
Who knows how competitive Kim will be in the fight or how many rounds he will see? Inoue will now have a few days in which to study as much footage of Kim as he can, the consummate pro as 31-year-old Inoue is.
