Sam Goodman and Mark Schleibs have almost come to blows during an open workout to promote next Wednesday’s Pay-Per-View headliner, with the latter accused of butchering “thousands” and what should be the biggest payday of his career.
Only five days out from their Wollongong Entertainment Centre headliner, Schleibs and Goodman have traded almost 20 minutes of insults – and then, nearly fists — during a chaotic open workout session at Bondi Boxing Club.
At the height of their exchange, Schleibs was standing outside of the ring, up on the apron, while Goodman worked out for the live Fox Sports event, questioning if the undefeated star would even make weight given “you look like a zombie”
“Look at your eyes,” Schleibs added soon after. “It looks like you’ve been on the puff”
Having arrived for the workout alone, Schleibs also then turned his verbal tongue fu towards two members of the Goodman entourage, goading both while also turning to ask the super bantamweight star if “you need someone to hold your hand?”
At which point, Goodman smiled, paused, and stopping his own workout, offered Schleibs into the ring.
BOXING: Goodman v Schleibs & Hardman v Saavedra | WED 13 MAR | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Unsurprisingly, the brash Melburnian accepted — with both fighters then putting hands on each other, albeit briefly, as No Limit staff rushed the ring and separate them.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia well after proceedings were done, and Schleibs had headed back to the airport, Goodman laughed off the exchange and revealed his rival was costing himself “thousands” in next Wednesday’s headliner.
The 25-year-old then explained how the bad blood between the pair stretched back years, explaining that his team had offered Schleibs a big “double your money” payday shortly after the Covid pandemic.
“But he rejected it,” Goodman explained.
“The guy is all talk.
“He’s already knocked back an opportunity to fight me.
“It was a couple of years ago, coming out of Covid.
“We offered (Schleibs) not only a great deal – and more than he is making for this fight – but a win bonus too.
“He had the chance to double his purse if he beat me.
“Yet still, he knocked it back.”
But now?
“The guy loves a camera, loves the attention,” Goodman shrugged. “That’s why he’s taking this.
“But I’m sure he’s not getting as much money as was initially offered.”
Goodman SLAPS Schleibs in fiery exchange | 01:29
Certainly Schleibs appeared happy to take centre stage at Thursday’s open workouts.
Arriving alone, and well in advance of Team Goodman, the fighter dubbed ‘Magic Man’ was already up the ring shadowboxing and enjoying a light sweat when the world’s No.1 ranked super bantamweight picked up a Main Event microphone to be interview.
“You need water?” Schleibs shouted across the room, as if to suggest his rival, who is also risking a mandatory shot at Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue, was struggling in the final days of weight cutting.
“Or do you need milk? It looks like you need milk.
“Look at you, you’re a zombie.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a professional athlete?
“World Vision is about to sponsor you, that’s how hungry you are.
“Your eyes are sticking out …”
Then borrowing a line from the greatest, he also took a play on Goodman’s ‘Ghost’ fight moniker laughing: “Ghost? Yeah, that’s what you look like
“I’m here by myself.
“A one man army.
“But you’re a dead man walking. Have nothing.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a butterfly.”
At which point, the pair then almost came to blows.
During the exchange with both Goodman and his team, Schleibs was also accused of ducking the fighter he is set to face next week, to which he replied simply: “What? I’m here.
“I’m fighting.”
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia immediately after stepping from the ring himself, he said: “I’m here on my own today and I’m here to sell this fight.
“You can see how nervous Goodman is.
“The guy is obviously struggling with the weight cut too.
“There’s no question about that.
“He looks as depleted as f…
“So when he gets on the scales, mate … the guy really is a Dead Man Walking.”
‘Punch the s*** out of each other’ | 00:30
The exchange continues on from a run of incidents which also saw Goodman surprisingly slap his rival’s face during their initial staredown at an official fight launch in the ‘Gong last month.
Goodman would later state the physical altercation had been sparked by Schleib’s continual baiting of him – and his family – during a largely chaotic press conference event that was televised live.
He also described the brash Melbourne as an “attention wh**e” and “the biggest clown in Australian boxing”.
All of which continues the build for next Wednesday’s Pay-Per-View card that will also see exiled NRL player Curtis Scott make his professional boxing debut against Joey Leilua.
Popular Aussie middleweight Issac Hardman will also look to continue his continued push back up through the division’s world title rankings against big punching Venezuelan Endry Saavedra.
While Schleibs was upset by the slap incident, the he moment was also a surprise shift in character for Goodman, who is now mandatory for Japanese megastar and unified division king, Nayoa Inoue.
US promoters Top Rank this week announced Inoue will defend his straps against Luis Nery in the famed Tokyo Dome, Japan on May 6.
Should the champion continue his incredible run, Goodman is almost certain to be next up after that and, as a result, is risking his No.1 ranking to stay busy and take against Schleibs next Wednesday night.
Undefeated in all 17 fights as a professional, the 25-year-old is coming off an outstanding 2023 where he beat Irishman TJ Doheny, American Ra’eese Aleem, Mexican Miguel Flores and previously undefeated Chinese fighter Zhong Liu.
The scenes at Friday’s open workouts continue a fiery build that has also seen Schleibs took a bizarre, and unprompted, shot at Australian UFC star Alexander Volkanovski – who is good mates with Goodman.
While the 30-year-old comes into the headliner as heavy underdog, he is promising to require less than a round to KO Goodman, and has warned: “No excuses when I knock you the f*** out.
“When they pick you up off the floor, I don’t want any f…ing excuses.
“And know I’m ready to die in there.
“For every word that I have said, I’m ready to die for it.”
Elsewhere, Schleibs also dubbed himself the real A-side of the Wollongong headliner and suggested his famed trash talk had already caused Goodman to buckle.