Junior featherweight contender Sam Goodman started 2025 victorious and was determined to exit the same way, having fallen short when stepping up to featherweight for a shot at Nick Ball's WBA title.

Goodman, The Ring's No. 3-rated operator at 122-pounds, returned to action with a dominant 10-round decision win over previously-unbeaten compatriot Tyler Blizzard on December 17.

"I like being active and if you sit around for too long waiting for things to come to you, sometimes they don't," Goodman (21-1, 8 KOs) told The Ring.

"He [Blizzard] was very cagey, like he came to the ring with a riot shield, didn't really offer much. It was a bit of a negative way of fighting, but I think I controlled every round and pretty much boxed him to a shutout.

"It's about getting myself back out there, putting myself on show and getting back in the winner's circle to close off the year, that's what we did."

The 27-year-old from Albion Park, New South Wales enjoyed his featherweight stint, even if the result didn't go his way.

"I thought it was a fight that could have gone either way, some people thought I beat him," he said. "I'm not going to blow up about the decision, it was a close fight, I think the scorecards were a bit of a joke.

"It was a good learning experience; I learned and took bits from it so look to put myself back in big fights and get these world titles."

Goodman looked to implement some of what he learned against Ball four months later when seizing Blizzard's perfect record.

"I really tried to put on the pace a lot quicker, go through the gears a bit faster but he's hard to break down," he explained. "He didn't leave a whole heap of openings.

"I don't think I got to show the best version of myself but was happy to get back out there and have a dominant win."

Now, after some family time over the holidays, he is ready to get back into training camp before another outing.

"There's nothing officially locked in but I'm hoping to be out in March or April," he said.

"I've said to the boys: I want big fights that put me back in for a world title shot. Whoever that is and whoever I've got to beat, I think I can beat 'em all and I'm ready to do that."

The Australian demonstrated that he's only too happy to challenge himself and would welcome a fight with someone like former unified 122-pound titlist Marlon Tapales, The Ring's No. 1-rated contender for Naoya Inoue's crown.

"100 percent," he said. "It's a fight that I thought would have eventuated by now. A couple of times it's been talked about, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened.

"He's a top guy and a fight like that would be perfect, propelling me to the top of the division and reinstates me at the top."

Goodman was twice close to boxing Ring and undisputed junior featherweight champion Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) in December 2024 and then again a month later, only for cuts to prevent him facing 'The Monster' on both occasions.

Since then, he was second best against Ball, while Inoue has gone from strength-to-strength with another active schedule.

"Everyone knows what happened with my shot. I don't want to dwell there but he's still there, I'd love to run that one and get that fight," he said.

"I just want to put myself in the best position to fight for a 122-pound title and if he's still the champion, then it's him."

Although Inoue has gone the 12-round distance in each of his last two defences and will turn 33 in April, Goodman doesn't feel the Japanese superstar has shown any sign of slipping.

"He's going through the weights, not getting guys out at 122 in one or two rounds, it is taking a bit longer and they're becoming more competitive fights," he said. "It's a tougher weight. I still think he's the same fighter. Fair play to him, he did his job."

He will have one eye on the Inoue-Junto Nakatani megafight rumoured for May 2, but expects it to be fairly one-sided.

"I think Inoue goes straight through Nakatani," he said. "Going off the fight the other night, I thought Nakatani can still punch but his physical strength, it looked like he got bullied at times.

"Being physically strong and being a puncher are two different things that gets lost along the way. His opponent started way too late and that's credit to Nakatani, he can punch so he probably had Hernandez's respect early.

"It was his first crack at 122 but how much stronger is he going to get in that timeframe? It was a good, interesting fight [against Sebastian Hernandez], but did leave plenty of holes."