Inoue v Goodman for undisputed title: Is Japanese icon Wollongong bound?

Sam Goodman's dream fight looked in jeopardy when Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue tasted the canvas for the first time in his career in the first round of his Tokyo Dome showdown with Luis Nery on Monday.

From there, the fight went exactly as expected with 'The Monster' coming back to finish the the previous 36-1 Mexican to retain his undisputed super-bantamweight title.

Goodman was ringside at the Tokyo Dome and was called into the ring by Inoue post-fight, the four-division champion stating an intention to fight Albion Park's favourite son in September.

"I will go into negotiations to fight against Sam Goodman in September," Inoue confirmed in the ring.

"I've been mandatory [challenger] for over year, either give up the belts or fight me, let's get it on," Goodman responded.

Goodman's promotor George Rose of No Limit Boxing in February launched a public bid to bring Inoue to WIN Stadium for the fight.

It was a bold pitch given Inoue has fought outside of his native Japan just four times in his 27-0 career and regularly packs out stadiums in Tokyo.

The arena in which the pair stood famously hosted boxing's most famous upset when James 'Buster' Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in 1990.

If Goodman could dethrone Inoue it would be the biggest upset in world boxing since that night and - Tyson's notoriety aside - would arguably top it in the pure boxing stakes.

Inoue is now 27-0 with 24 knockouts and is ranked behind only Terrence Crawford in boxing bible The Ring's pound-for-pound rankings.

Even if the bout were to take place in Australia, Goodman would start a despised outsider, but the 25-year-old Aussie remains confident he can pull of the upset having witnessed Inoue up close for the first time.

"I didn't understand a word he just said [in the ring], it was all Japanese, but I saw enough in the fight to know I can do what I need to do to win that fight," Goodman told No Limit post-fight.

"It's a massive opportunity for me, it's very exciting. I've been saying it for however long now, I want world titles. He's got them all, so I've got to fight him.

"I've got to box my best, but I believe if I do it I can beat this man. [Inoue getting knocked down] just shows everybody's human and at any given moment anyone can beat anyone.

"It's up to me to box the perfect fight and to really put it on him. I saw plenty in there to show I can really push this guy and, not just push him, beat him.

"It's exciting and it just goes to show it's possible. He's obviously being eyeing me as well for some time. I'm on his radar, of course he's on mine, he's got all the belts, let's get it on."