'It was cooked': Aussie's shock injury reveal as $1m gamble hangs in ...

Sam Goodman said his left hand was “cooked” in the ninth round and hopes he won’t be sidelined for long after his thrilling victory over Chainoi Worawut came at a physical cost.

The Australian star’s risky move to continue taking fights despite being undisputed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue’s mandatory challenger paid off as he outpointed a remarkably tough Worawut in a unanimous decision victory (117-11, 117-113, 119-109) at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

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However, the risk — estimated to be a guaranteed $1 million payday — was not all reward as Goodman sustained a suspected fracture in his left hand as early as the fourth round.

The hometown hero felt the hand got worse in the sixth before it completely unravelled in the ninth round.

“I hit him with a left hook in the ninth and I really felt something,” Goodman said in his post-fight press conference.

“It didn’t feel quite right at all. A few dramas early on, but not enough to stop throwing. I was just trying to touch him a bit with it (the left hand).

“Look, we got through it and we won the fight.”

For Goodman, who fights in an orthodox stance and isn’t known to switch it up, a broken left hand meant he couldn’t put much power in his jabs.

But he simply didn’t have a choice.

“I kept throwing it out there, I had to,” Goodman said.

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“It’s a 12 round fight. It was cooked in about the ninth round.”

Despite Goodman’s considerable pain, he masked it well and never sensed that Worawut was aware he was seriously hurt.

It wasn’t just a damaged left hand Goodman had to worry about either, as his Thai rival’s rather unique style of stance switching and unorthodox punching required serious vigilance from the Aussie.

“We saw in a few of his fights that he did like to chase,” Goodman said.

“He was, at times, almost running at me. It was hard to stay organised the whole time and have hard, defensive hands against him.

“But it’s stuff I’ll work on and get better from.”

The extent of Goodman’s busted left hand remains unknown, with the super bantamweight contender aiming to get it looked at as soon as possible.

“I’m hoping it’s not too serious,” Goodman said.

Should scans come back negative, Goodman will remain on a collision course with boxing superstar Inoue.

Reports claim Inoue will take on Irish star TJ Doheny — who Goodman comprehensively beat in March last year — in September, with a bout against Goodman in December.