GOODALL HAPPY TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LENNOX LEWIS

Thirty years after his boxing hero, Lennox Lewis, won the super heavyweight title at the Feliks Stamm Invitational in Poland, Australia’s Joe Goodall gets to join him on the honour board. And next year Goodall hopes to once again emulate Lewis, by winning Commonwealth Games gold. Goodall overcame hometown favourite Aleksander Stawirej in the super heavyweight final to post his best international result since winning silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“Winning this tournament means a lot, especially after not having much International form for a long time,” Goodall said.

“My training has been pretty solid so far in 2017, but I did catch the flu before this tournamount which hampered the last two weeks of training.

“Hearing that Lennox Lewis formerly won the Feliks Stamm Tournamount is a buzz.”

That was back in 1987. One year earlier the Englishman won gold at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, before also winning Olympic gold in 1988. He also went on to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, the first time in 1992, the year Goodall was born. There is a strong sense the best is yet to come for the Australian, who had a long battle with serious illness in the lead-up to and following Glasgow 2014.

“I was battling with glandular fever and chronic fatigue for two years, but kept competing,” Goodall said.

“I think those days are behind me now, I feel as though I'm finally back to full health.

“This tournamount has definitely been a confidence booster. The Commonwealth Games are still a while away and you can go in and out of form. I just have to keep boxing well.”

Two other Australians finished on the podium in Poland, with exciting teenager Harry Garside winning bronze in the lightweight division, and Jessica Messina taking third in the women’s 69kg division.