Sam Goodman Shocks Top Super Bantamweight Ra’eese Aleem in Co-Feature with Split Decision Win in Title Eliminator

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QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – June 17, 2023 – Undefeated Australian action fighter Tim Tszyu blitzed contender Carlos Ocampo with a stunning, first-round knockout on Saturday to defend his Interim WBO 154-pound titleheadlining action live on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL on SHOWTIME® from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia in a Premier Boxing Champions event. The vicious ending can be seen HERE.

Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) dropped Ocampo with a right hand barely a minute into the fight and finished him with a lunging left hook that propelled Ocampo (34-3, 22 KOs) down and into the ropes, causing referee Danrex Tapdasan to stop the bout at 1:17 of the first round. Tszyu – whose father Kostya was a former undisputed world champion – immediately set his sights on the undisputed 154-pound kingpin Jermell Charlo, who withdrew from their scheduled fight in January with a broken left hand. Tszyu’s message to Charlo can be found HERE.

Tszyu went through with the bout on Saturday despite undergoing surgery less than three weeks ago after a dog bit his right forearm, leaving an ugly, silver-dollar size gash. It only seemed to galvanize him.  

“I have a question for everyone here, what’s my mother— name?” Tszyu said in the ring after securing his second win in three months in Australia. “I think that was a statement. There’s no battle with America. That’s the land I want to conquer. That’s where the big one is coming next. I want Charlo on my resume. So, get it in here and let’s dance in October. I’ve overcome a lot of adversity, so it was about pushing through. I didn’t think it would be this quick. I feel like a pit bull and there’s no stopping me. The big one is Charlo so get your tickets. We’re coming back with four belts.”

In a brisk, active and entertaining battle, Australian Sam Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) used his jab and aggression to out-work and upset previously undefeated Ra’eese Aleem by split decision in an IBF 122-pound title eliminator in the night’s co-feature. Goodman won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 112-116 to remain undefeated and move a step closer to a title shot, while Aleem dropped to 20-1 with 12 KOs.

Despite Aleem’s dedicated body attack, the judges rewarded Goodman’s forward-moving charge, especially in the second half of the fight when Goodman seemed to rev his offense into another gear. After his corner told him to pick it up, Goodman out-landed Aleem 78-61 in rounds 8-12 and won five of the last six rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards. 

“That was tough early, he was awkward,” the 24-year-old Goodman said. “I’m so pumped, words can’t explain the work me and my team put into this. This is the start. My heart was through the roof [when I learned it was a split decision]. He’s a tough competitor. He comes in with awkward stuff. It was a big test. I knew early on I had to be smart and give him respect and I’d come through in the later rounds. We’re coming for those straps. We’re coming for them.”

Saturday’s SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will replay on SHOWTIME on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET/PT and on SHOWTIME EXTREME® on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL remote telecast from CBS Broadcast Center while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo handled blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares with boxing historian and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood serving as unofficial scorer.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast was executive produced by four-time Emmy award winnerDavid Dinkins, Jr., with Ray Smaltz III producing and Chuck McKean directing.

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