4 days ago
Australia's Sam Goodman targeted by anti-doping authorities in lead up to his world-title blockbuster against defending champion Nick Ball
Sam Goodman insists he is not a drug cheat amid fears the Australian was deliberately targeted by anti-doping chiefs in a bid to destabilise him ahead of his world-title blockbuster.
Goodman (20-0) faces the biggest test of his career on Sunday morning (AEST) when the Albion Park pugilist takes on Englishman Nick Ball (22-0-1) for the WBC featherweight world title in Saudi Arabia.
But there are concerns from the Goodman camp that he has been a victim of sabotage after the Aussie sensation was relentlessly drug-tested by authorities in the lead-up to the Ball bout.
Australian fighters are no strangers to offshore mind games and political trickery.
Goodman recalls Queensland's former world champion Jeff Horn being woken up at 2am to be drug tested by anti-doping officials on the day of his title defence against Terence Crawford. It was viewed as a tactic to unsettle Horn. It worked. He was sliced-and-diced by Crawford in a ninth-round stoppage in Las Vegas.
It is understood Goodman has been randomly drug-tested at least six or seven times in recent weeks, fuelling conspiracy theories promoters are trying to mess with his mind.
But the classy super bantamweight, who is going up one weight division for his world-title baptism against Ball, says nothing will distract him, declaring he's as clean as his pristine win-loss record.
'For this fight, the drug testing has been going late which is a bit average,' said Goodman, who was also heavily tested before his proposed world-title bout against Naoya Inoue last year, which never eventuated after he suffered two head cuts in sparring.
'Before Inoue, I got drug tested six or seven times 10 days out from the fight and there would have been another test if I got to Japan.
'When you fight away from home, you have to expect these things.
'You hear these horror stories and that sort of s*** (boxers failing drug tests) can happen.
'There's cheaters who cheat, I get it,' Goodman added on The Punch podcast as he prepares to face Ball.
'A lot of fighters could cheat their way right up to a world-title shot.
'I'm fighting in their territory, but I'm doing everything I can control to get to the ring in the best shape possible.
'I won't let it get to me. We (the Goodman team) are in a fortress here.
'If I don't win, it's because I'm not good enough, which won't be the case.'
Intriguingly, Goodman has taken inspiration from two Little Masters in another sport.
Two of rugby league's greatest halfbacks, Broncos legend Allan Langer and current Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds, are surprise motivating forces in Goodman's bid to conquer the world.
The 'Wrecking' Ball is England's only current world champion and underlining his pint-sized stature, he stands a tiny 157cm — eight centimetres shorter than 'Alfie' Langer.
Growing up on the NSW south coast, Goodman's first dream was to play NRL. He was a St George Illawarra fan and marvelled at vision of Langer and Reynolds, inspiring Goodman with their ability to punch above their weight as cheeky halfbacks in the NRL's land of giants.
When Goodman suffered an arm injury playing league as a 10-year-old, it was the moment that convinced him to take up boxing and the 'Ghost' quickly found his niche.
Now unbeaten after seven years in the professional ranks, Goodman makes his world-title debut and is being driven by two of rugby league's little champions to break down Ball in a middle-eastern mauling.
Reynolds is a massive boxing fan and enjoys Goodman's high-octane style.
'The critics always underestimate us smaller guys,' said Goodman, who at 169cm has a major size advantage over Ball.
'I loved rugby league growing up and there was a time when I hoped I would be good enough to play in the NRL, but I've found success in boxing.
'Blokes like 'Alfie' Langer, Geoff Toovey (Manly great) and Adam Reynolds made a career out of proving people wrong.
'That's exactly what I will do this weekend.
'He (Ball) has a wild and frantic style. He is unique and it works for him, but there's many ways I can win this fight.
'It's a hit-and-run mission, I'll go over there, get the belt and come home.'
Ball has been accused of underestimating Goodman, with the Briton admitting he hasn't watched the Australian at all.
'I don't know much about him and I don't really care,' he told this masthead.
'I won't know (about his style) until the bell goes. I just focus on me.
'My coaches do the research, I let them do it while I focus on myself and they tell me what's going to work on the night.
'I will beat him because I'm an all-round better fighter. I want it more. I'm hungrier than him. I'm more powerful.
'The best version of me beats his best and that's what I will be.
'It's going to be tough for sure, but he won't handle me.'
It's understood there is a rematch clause in the deal and Goodman has no qualms about beating Ball twice in his eventual dream of fighting undisputed king 'The Monster' Inoue.
'I think there's a rematch clause so I might have to fight this guy twice,' he said.
'I'm pretty sure there is (a two-fight clause), so we'll wait and see.
'If I beat him the first time well enough, we'll see if we come to Australia.
'I've bled for this, I've sacrificed everything for this moment.
'I'm not flying halfway around the world to come home empty-handed.
'Once the bell rings there's no teammates to back me up — it's all on me.
'Come Sunday, he's going to find out exactly what I'm about ... I'm not leaving the desert without that world title.'
