Aleem: ‘I believe my fight with Goodman is going to be a war’

Undefeated top super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem declared his upcoming showdown against unbeaten Australian Sam Goodman “a chess match, but a brutal one,” as he prepares to step into the ring in an IBF 122-pound title eliminator that serves as the co-main event live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, June 17 (Sunday, June 18 in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast begins at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated Australian superstar Tim Tszyu returning to the ring and defend his Interim WBO 154-pound title against Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo.

Here was what Aleem had to say about training camp prior to arriving in Australia last Thursday, and more:

On his matchup with Sam Goodman:

“I believe my fight with Goodman is going to be a war. He does a lot of nice things in the ring, but so do I. It’s a matchup of unique styles. He likes to fight off the back foot and I like to do multiple things. I’ll be throwing hard punches as always looking for the knockout. It’s going to be a chess match, but a brutal one.”

On his recent training camp:

“I kept my weight in check, so I feel strong going into this fight. I feel everything came together during this camp and I’m ready to go.”

On fighting outside of the U.S. for the first time:

“Deep down inside I’m excited to be fighting Goodman in his Australia, where he calls home. I’m a proud American and I’ll do anything to bring pride to our country. Although it’s just a boxing match, we’ll be going toe-to-toe, and I’ll be representing the great United States of America.”

On what a win will do for his career:

“Winning this fight will catapult me to a world title shot. Not only am I fighting someone in his own country, but it’s a title elimination bout to see who’s next to fight for the title. Everything changes for me if I win this fight, so you best believe I’m coming with everything I got. I’m leaving everything in the ring against Goodman.”