Sam Goodman’s world title ambitions are still alive — barely.
The unbeaten Aussie returned to Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Wednesday night and delivered a dominant yet gritty decision win over Mexico’s Cesar Vaca. It was supposed to be a clean tune-up. Instead, Goodman left the ring covered in blood and stitched up yet again — but with a W on the board.
The judges scored it 100-90, 99-91, and 99-92. No controversy. Just damage.
Goodman came in ranked at the top of the super bantamweight division. Earlier this year, he was supposed to face Naoya Inoue — the monster of the weight class — until a nasty training camp cut killed the dream. This fight was about reestablishing momentum and getting his name back in the mix.
He did that. But not without drama.
Goodman boxed sharp for the first half, dictating pace, landing clean body work, and never letting Vaca get a foothold. But as the rounds wore on, the fight turned messy. Goodman suffered two separate cuts — one mid-fight and one late due to a vicious accidental headbutt above the eye. Blood poured. Fans gasped. Goodman kept punching.
He managed the final rounds like a pro, staying behind the jab, keeping it disciplined, and never letting Vaca build any hope.
Now 20-0, Goodman remains the top name in the division outside Inoue — and he made it clear he’s not going away.
After the fight, Goodman held back tears as he addressed his support group, The Mad Bunch, and reflected on what he called the wildest six months of his life. His words weren’t polished. They didn’t need to be. The emotions said enough.
He wants Inoue. And whether it’s next or after one more, Goodman’s right back in the conversation.
Garside Shakes Off Ring Rust In Comeback Win Over Bell
In the co-feature, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Harry Garside made a long-awaited return to professional boxing after three years out of the game. And he didn’t waste time.
Garside scored a stoppage win over Charlie Bell in front of a fired-up Sydney crowd. . The referee’s decision to wave off the fight caught many by surprise, with Bell still standing and trading shots at the time of the stoppage. It wasn’t vintage, but it was enough. He showed movement, timing, and the kind of experience that only sharpens under pressure. Bell tried to make it rough, but Garside kept things under control and overwhelmed him.
The finish came late. Garside got the win. And now he’s back in the lightweight conversation — with real buzz behind him again.
Ivic vs. Vousiutu: A Heavyweight War That Stole The Whole Damn Night
This was supposed to be buried under the main event. It ended up being the fight everyone’s talking about.
In a fight for the Australian heavyweight title, Stevan Ivic and Toese Vousiutu went to war for ten straight rounds in one of the most brutal, crowd-pleasing slugfests Sydney has seen in years.
It was ugly, it was wild, it was chaos.
By Round 6, Vousiutu was nearly done. His corner gave him an ultimatum: step it up or we throw in the towel. He answered like a lunatic — and turned the entire fight on its head. He came out swinging in Round 7 and nearly dropped Ivic with a monster shot. The place erupted.
Both men traded haymakers round after round, with massive shots landing clean. You could hear the thuds ringside. Tim Tszyu, watching live, called it “a fight for the ages.” Play-by-play man Ben Damon said it was “the round of the year.”
And they weren’t exaggerating.
In the end, Ivic retained his title with a unanimous decision — 96-94, 96-93, 96-93. But honestly, nobody lost. Both men embraced at the final bell. Fans were on their feet for minutes.
This wasn’t some manufactured spectacle. This was two tough blokes digging into the basement and trying to rip each other apart in a title fight that turned into a war zone. It wasn’t just the best fight of the card — it might’ve been the best fight in Australian boxing all year.
Full Fight Results
- Sam Goodman def. Cesar Vaca Espinoza via UD10 (99-92, 99-91, 100-90)
- Harry Garside def. Charlie Bell via TKO5
- Stevan Ivic def. Toese Vousiutu via UD10 (96-93×2, 96-94) for the Australian heavyweight title
- Mounir Fathi def. Wade Ryan via KO3
- Charlie Kazzi def. Patrick Vella via UD8 (79-73 x2, 77-75)
- Jason Fawcett def. Alex Lual via MD6 (59-55, 58-56, 57-57)
- Jasmine Parr def. Jittamat Phomta via TKO1
- Dharringarra Trewhella def. Kaliova Tahikia via TKO3
Last Updated on 05/15/2025
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