Australia will be firmly in Sam Goodman’s corner when he fights for a world title in Japan on Sunday.
Well, almost all of Australia.
Goodman v Nishida | Sunday September 27 from 6pm AEST | Sam Goodman takes on Japan’s Ryosuke Nishida for the interim IBF super bantamweight world title live from Tokyo on Kayo Sports.
Aussie boxing manager and matchmaker Mike Altamura has been involved with Goodman’s opponent, Ryosuke Nishida, since the Japanese fighter’s second professional bout.
Goodman has told him they can be mates again the day after their interim IBF super bantamweight title fight.
“He’s refused to talk to me for the last couple of months, but he said that on September 28 we’ll be friends again,” Altamura told Fox Sports Australia of Goodman.
“So that’s great. Hopefully we don’t bring him too much misery on September 27.”
Altamura, who has worked with more than a dozen world champions, has been the international matchmaker for Nishida’s Muto Boxing Gym since 2019.
He says this is the first time a fighter he represents internationally has faced an Aussie at this level, though he feels no real conflict about it.
Goodman’s manager, Peter Mitrevski, has been a close friend for around 20 years. For Altamura, seeing two Aussie managers on opposite sides of a world-title fight in Japan is something to celebrate.
“I feel positive about it because it’s Australia to the world,” he said.
“For us to kind of be meeting at the absolute elite level in Tokyo, Japan, it feels very fitting.”
Altamura has already had a good look at Goodman from the other corner.
He managed TJ Doheny throughout the Irishman’s career, including his loss to Goodman in 2023.
What he saw that night impressed him. He remembers Goodman’s movement being particularly difficult to read, and says Nishida will have to be sharp to deal with it.
“I saw Sam at what I felt was his best when he was very fresh, early career, against TJ,” Altamura said.
“His in-and-out movement was ultra effective and very hard to time and very hard to catch at that point in his career.”
Andrew Moloney also identified Goodman’s footwork and speed as potential advantages when he spoke to Fox Sports Australia this week.
Altamura agrees Goodman has the quicker feet. He just doesn’t think that will necessarily make them more effective on Sunday.
“I think Goodman has faster feet in and out, but faster feet in and out doesn’t necessarily mean more effective feet,” he said.
“I feel like Nishida has the tools to be able to counteract that, but he’s got to be on his game. Sam’s an excellent boxer.”
Goodman can do more than move, too. Altamura knows the Albion Park fighter is capable of standing his ground and making it a scrap.
“He’s a bit physically stronger than what people think, and he’s an Albion Park boy,”
Altamura said. “He doesn’t mind standing in front of you and being engaged in a tear-up too. He’s a very courageous young fighter.”
But Altamura has a warning for anyone looking at Nishida’s record of 11 wins, one loss and just two knockouts and assuming Goodman will have nothing to worry about in the exchanges.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” he said.
“He’s damaged 90 per cent of the opponents that he’s fought. He’s hurt them at one point or another in the fight. He’s physically very strong.”
The southpaw can box at range, but Altamura says he is happy to hold his ground, draw an opponent in and counter hard. He describes Nishida as a boxer-puncher whose much more comfortable at super bantamweight.
“He was cutting from like 150 pounds to 118 pounds to make bantamweight,” Altamura said.
“So the extra four pounds of reprieve suits him considerably better.”
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Nishida is now at super bantamweight, where Altamura believes he can make better use of that strength.
Goodman, meanwhile, is chasing the world-title breakthrough that has twice been delayed by cuts ahead of proposed fights with Naoya Inoue. His meeting with Nishida is for the interim IBF belt.
Altamura believes the stakes could be even greater. He expects Inoue to pursue other fights and eventually leave the division, which could see the winner upgraded to full champion.
“I believe that this contest, although it’s billed as the interim world championship, I believe it’s for the full world championship,” he said.
First, Nishida has to get past an opponent Altamura knows well and rates highly.
“I have immense respect for Goodman,” he said. “I’ve got immense respect for his camp.”
He’ll be hoping they still feel the same way about him on Monday.