In an impressive display of skill, Naoya Inoue has successfully defended his title as the undisputed super bantamweight world champion, decisively defeating Alan Picasso by unanimous decision in Riyadh. This victory enhances Inoue's remarkable record to 32 wins and no losses, with 27 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Notably, he remains undefeated in world title contests, boasting a perfect record of 27-0.
The next likely opponent for Inoue appears to be fellow Japanese boxer Junto Nakatani, who also achieved a victory on the same card against Sebastian Hernandez in a thrilling match (you can read more about that fight here).
Despite his success, Inoue expressed some self-criticism after the fight, stating through an interpreter, "My performance was not good enough tonight. I should have done better." He acknowledged feeling quite fatigued, particularly since this marked his fourth title defense of the year 2025, indicating that he plans to take a break to recuperate.
On the other hand, Alan Picasso, with a record now standing at 32 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw (with 17 knockouts), put forth a commendable effort throughout the match. Although he was never truly in contention to win, his determination and resilience were evident as he sought an upset against one of the top fighters in the world. Importantly, this defeat does not diminish his reputation, as he managed to go the distance in all 12 rounds against Inoue.
The scorecards reflected Inoue's dominance, with official tallies reading 117-111, 119-109, and 120-108, all favoring the champion. Unofficially, Bad Left Hook scored the bout at an even more lopsided 120-108 for Inoue.
As for the potential clash between Inoue and Nakatani, indications suggest that it is highly likely, although Inoue was somewhat non-committal in his post-fight remarks. "Both of us had very good wins tonight. Next year, we’re going to leave it to (the promoters) to decide what to do," Inoue stated. "But for the Japanese fans, you can expect something very good."
Additionally, there has been some buzz about the possibility of super flyweight champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez moving up a weight class to challenge Inoue. When asked about this matchup, Inoue responded, "Yeah, when he’s ready, and if he can fight in the super bantamweight class, and the timing works out, I’d love for him to challenge me."
With such exciting prospects on the horizon, boxing enthusiasts have much to look forward to in the coming months.
