The preliminary plans of absolute champion Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) for this year and the names of his first two opponents became known. The 31-year-old Japanese will return to the ring on January 24 in Tokyo, where his opponent will be Sam Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs). The stakes in this fight will be four championship belts in the second lightweight division.
If Inoue defeats Goodman, his next fight should take place in the second half of April at the Top Rank boxing night organized in the United States. The Japanese will face Mexican Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) on that day. Inoue is set to box in Saudi Arabia for the first time in the fall.
