Heavyweight champ Justis Huni is cleared to fight Joe Goodall one year after busting his hand against Paul Gallen

It’s official. Justis Huni is back after undergoing hand surgery which crushed his Olympic gold-medal dream. Get the latest on his blockbuster return.

Justis Huni faces the toughest test of his career against unbeaten Joe Goodall. Picture: Annette Dew

The sheriff of Australian heavyweight boxing is back in town to restore order.

National heavyweight champion Justis Huni has been given a medical clearance to fight again and is ready to pick up the pieces from the injury that shattered his dreams of winning Gold at last year’s Olympics.

News Corp can reveal Huni will return to the ring for a heavyweight blockbuster against Joe Goodall on Wednesday, June 15 — almost a year to the day he bludgeoned NRL legend Paul Gallen so badly he suffered the busted hand that put him out of the Tokyo Games.

Huni (5-0, 4KO) was slated to face Kiki Leutele (7-1-2, 6KO) on May 11 on a card headlined by Jai Opetaia, but Opetaia’s rib injury has forced the postponement of his IBF world-title bout with Latvian champion Mairis Briedis.

That prompted promoters to scrap the Leutele bout and fast-track JPH’s showdown with a more dangerous opponent in the unbeaten Goodall.

Goodall (8-0-1, 7KO) will be confident of stealing Huni’s Australian title after producing a first-round knockout of Mathew McKinney a fortnight ago in America on the undercard of Tim Tszyu’s defeat of Terrell Gausha.

But Goodall has been warned to brace for the toughest test of his career now that Australia’s heavyweight kingpin can truly cut loose with his reconstructed right fist.

“Justis’ hand is 100 per cent again,” said his father and trainer Rocki Huni.

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Justis Huni faces the toughest test of his career against unbeaten Joe Goodall. Picture: Annette Dew

“He had his fifth session of sparring (on Friday) and he is going great guns. There is no pain at all. He is more confident throwing his right hand as hard as he can knowing there is no pain from the injury. It’s great news.

“It was really hard for Justis missing the Olympics, but he has put that behind him and he is focusing on his professional career.

“Justis had to get a couple of needles in his hand to fight Paul Gallen. He was in a bit of pain, but it goes to show his mental toughness that he still wanted to fight Gallen and beat him comfortably.

“This will be Justis’ toughest test so far. Joe is the best heavyweight in Australia other than Justis, so he will be a formidable opponent, but this is the next step in Justis’ journey to one day be a world champion.”

The showdown will be on Queensland soil, with promoters deciding between the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre or Nissan Arena, the latter venue just a five-minute drive from Huni’s Sunnybank home.

At 197cm, Goodall has the size and workrate to produce a boilover, but Huni is confident he will claim a sixth consecutive scalp.

Huni carried a painful hand injury into his fight against Paul Gallen last June but still dominated the former NRL star. Picture: Richard Dobson

“We know each other very well. We have helped each other out a lot in sparring,” said Huni, who turned 23 last Monday.

“We were bound to clash somewhere along the line, so let’s get it done.

“It’s the best of the best in Australia going against each other. It will be an awesome showdown.

“There will be fireworks. We are in the heavyweights so bombs will be dropped and it’s possible someone will get knocked out.

“Joe will be confident but with respect to him, I am the better boxer and I will be the better boxer on the night.”

Originally published as Heavyweight champ Justis Huni is cleared to fight Joe Goodall one year after busting his hand against Paul Gallen