By Vince D’Writer: Heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba has world title aspirations, and he wants to take a step towards securing his dream bout by producing an impressive performance on Saturday night, November 4th, when he faces Joe Goodall (10-1-1, 9 KOs) at the Tahoe Blue Event Center, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada live on ESPN+.
Currently, when fight fans think of the top of the food chain in the heavyweight division, they think of names such as Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua. A few years ago, Efe Ajagba was working his way towards adding his name to that elite list until he experienced a major setback.
Back in October 2021, Efe Ajagba entered the ring as a 15-0 knockout artist whose stock was on the rise. As the co-main for Fury-Wilder 3, Ajagba clashed with the undefeated Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez. In the seventh round, Sanchez scored a knockdown, and then he went on to earn a unanimous decision victory.
A year later, Efe Ajagba would bounce back with a second round TKO win over Josef Darmos. Ajagba returned to the ring five months later and earned a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Shaw. Next up was a clash against an opponent who was also known for producing the knockout.
Coming into the August 26th bout, Zhan Kossobutskiy had a total of 19 wins, with 18 of those wins coming by way of KO. Fight fans assumed the Ajagba vs Kossobutskiy bout would be an exciting battle, but the match turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Ajagba showed some additions to his skill set as he appeared to be an improved boxer when it comes to fighting on the inside. Ajagba proceeded to land some effective body shots, and Kossobutskiy responded by landing a series of low blows, which forced the referee to disqualify him in the 4th round.
Now, Efe Ajagba is ready to move on and continue his quest of gaining momentum and fulfilling his dream of getting a shot at a world title in the near future. On Saturday night, November 4th, Ajagba plans on showcasing his skills against a hard-hitting opponent.
A native of Bendigo, Australia, Joe Goodall is a heavyweight who packs a heavy punch. He’s scored wins by way of knockout against nine of ten opponents, and his upset victory in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was an impressive display of finishing a fight.
In the 6th round of his July 2023 matchup against Stephan Shaw, 31-year-old Joe Goodall landed a vicious three-punch combination that sent Shaw down to the canvas. Shaw was able to get up, but he was knocked down a second time. Shaw was in survival mode, and with five seconds to go in the 6th, his corner threw in the towel.
In addition to facing a common opponent in Stephan Shaw, the 29-year-old Efe Ajagba and his opponent Joe Goodall have history with each other. As amateurs back in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Goodall defeated Ajagba.
The bout on Saturday night should be a very competitive match as an improved ranking and Ajagba’s WBC Silver heavyweight title is at stake. Joe Goodall is looking for his second upset in a row as he continues his push to make a name for himself.
“I’m going to come as a beast in the ring,” said Goodall. “I’m going to come with everything, the training, the sparring, everything I did. I’ve been knocking people out in sparring, I’m going to put all of that in the fight.”
The 6’6″ Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba (18-1, 13 KOs) is currently ranked 7th in the WBC. On Saturday night, November 4th, Ajagba wants to showcase his skills, earn a victory, get vindication for his previous loss, and move up in the rankings.
“I lost to him in the Commonwealth Games in 2014,” said Ajagba at the official press conference. “So that’s the guy I lost to. This fight will be a rematch for me. This fight means a lot to me because of that loss.”
Ajagba went on to say, “The ‘Silent Roller’ is my nickname, so I’m going to come out as a beast in the fight. I’m silent outside, but in the ring, I’m a different guy.”
Weigh In Results
• Efe Ajagba 237.6 lbs vs. Joe Goodall 233.5 lbs
(Ajagba’s WBC Silver Heavyweight Title— 10 Rounds)
Judges: Tim Cheatham, Max DeLuca and Chris Flores
Referee: Tony Weeks
• Raymond Muratalla 134 lbs vs. Diego Torres Nunez 134.8 lbs
(Muratalla’s NABF & WBO Global Lightweight Titles — 10 Rounds)
Judges: Eric Cheek, Dave Moretti and David Sutherland
Referee: Celestino Ruiz
• Christian Avalos 134.5 lbs vs. Estevan Partida 134.6 lbs
(Lightweight — 4 Rounds)
• Henry Lebron 129.1 lbs vs. William Foster III 129.4 lbs
(Junior Lightweight — 10 Rounds)
• Omar Rosario 140 lbs vs. Angel Rebollar 137.8 lbs
(Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)
• Lindolfo Delgado 140.1 lbs vs. Luis Hernandez 140.3 lbs
(Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)
• Brandon Moore 234.7 lbs vs. Robert Simms 238.5 lbs
(Heavyweight — 8 Rounds)
