Wollongong world-title hope Sam Goodman feels he's never been better prepared for a fight after winding up his in-ring preparation with quality sparring with former world champion Isaac Dogboe on Monday.
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Goodman slugged it out with the former WBO super-bantamweight champion over eight hard rounds in preparation for his upcoming IBF world-title eliminator showdown Ra'eese Aleem in 13 days' time.
Dogboe (24-3) is a former WBO super-bantamweight champion who most recently went the distance with two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Robeisy Eloy Ramirez in pursuit of the WBO featherweight title in April.
The elite level preparation leaves the Albion Park favourite son confident he'll have too much for Aleem to handle on the undercard to Tim Tszyu's showdown with Mexican Carlos Ocampo on the Gold Coast.
Having stepped back into the ring just two days after his victory over former IBF world champion TJ Doheny in March, the 24-year-old insists he's never been sharper.
It left him confident enough to invite cameras into his final live workout.
"I'm feeling the fittest I've ever felt by far," Goodman told the Mercury.
"I've been from camp to camp to camp so I haven't had breaks. I'm getting out of the ring after 12 rounds saying 'I could do 15 or more'.
"It was a great way to finish off camp getting great work with Isaac Dogboe. He just fought for the featherweight world title, so a division up [from me].
"I'm feeling good, I'm feeling sharp, I'm feeling ready. I've still got some hard work in front of me, a few conditioning sessions to go, and then, once we hit the Gold Coast, it's just enjoy fight week."
"I've been going at flat-stick rate for a long while. I'm absolutely charging towards a world title. I'm ready to win one, but I've got a tough fighter in front of me and I've got to do a job on him."
While he's shared the ring with multiple elite sparring partners in the build-up to the showdown with Aleem, Goodman says there's no mimicking the unique style of the 20-0 American.
"Obviously you want some sort of similarities [to your opponent] that people can bring, but I just want to best work I can possibly get," Goodman said.
"I want to be pushed as much as I can in sparring and that's why we're using multiple sparring partners, the highest quality sparring partners.
"We've had Dogboe just coming at me, we've had Dana Coolwell who's giving you more of that American style looking to slip, bump and counter.
"We've had plenty of different looks throughout the camp and multiple different approaches, so it's just about adapting as quick as I can on the night and putting the hurt on him."
A shot at new IBF and WBA world champion Marlon Tapales looms for the winner and, despite an undefeated record, 32-year-old Aleem won't get too many more opportunities at a world title run should he fall to the similarly undefeated Aussie.
It's why Goodman's preparing for the very best version of the Michigan native.
"Time's not really on his side, so he'll be putting everything into this one, as everyone does," Goodman said.
"No-one at this level comes to lose. Everyone comes and expects to win. He's undefeated, he's 20-0 for a reason.
"The guys that you fight early on in your career, they do a lot of shit wrong, but this guy does a lot of stuff that, technically, you probably shouldn't do, but he makes it work for him.
"I've got to be ready for that and I am, I'm ready for all situations he's going to bring. I'll be able to pick him apart, capitalise on all the mistakes he makes, and really go through him.
"He's a good fighter, they've got big raps on him, especially over Stateside, so I know what this does for me. It's another great notch on my resume so I'm excited."
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
