IN recent weeks, rumours that Japanese superstars Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani would share a card in December and fight one another in May have picked up momentum. Now, their fights before the end of the calendar have been formally announced.
Inoue, 31-0 (26 KOs), and Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs), are each regarded as pound-for-pound contenders around the globe and major celebrities back in Japan, at the forefront of an outstanding era of boxing for their home nation.
As a result, the pair have been linked to a showdown with one another throughout 2025, with unified bantamweight champion Nakatani now moving up in weight in an attempt to dethrone the undisputed super-bantamweight champion, Inoue.
To build additional hype for that historic meeting in Tokyo, targeted for May 2026, whispers recently emerged that the pair would share a card in Riyadh.
Today, that event was officially announced by Ring Magazine, with Inoue taking on Alan David Picasso Romero, 32-0-1 (17 KOs), and Nakatani facing another undefeated Mexican in Sebastian Hernandez Reyes, 20-0 (18 KOs), in what will be ‘Big Bang’s’ debut at 122lbs.
The remainder of the card, billed as ‘The Night of the Samurai’, has also been revealed, with Kenshiro Teraji, 25-2 (16 KOs), scheduled to challenge IBF super-flyweight champion Willibaldo Garcia, 23-6-2 (13 KOs), as he attempts to become a three-weight world champion.
Meanwhile, a third world title contest may also take place, as Liverpool’s WBA Interim super-featherweight champion Jazza Dickens, 36-5 (15 KOs), collides with the well-regarded Hayato Tsutsumi, 8-0 (5 KOs).
Although there is every chance that Dickens could be upgraded to full world champion ahead of the event.
In addition, Japanese lightweight champion Taiga Imanaga, 9-0 (5 KOs), takes on Cuba’s Armando Martinez Rabi, 16-0 (15 KOs), in an intriguing scrap between two unbeaten contenders at 135lbs.
Finally, highly rated prospect and brother of Hayato, Reito Tsutsumi, 3-0 (2 KOs), will also appear on the bill, tasked with Mexico’s Leobardo Quintana Sanchez, 11-1 (5 KOs).
The full card will be available to watch live on DAZN on Saturday, December 27, as Inoue and Nakatani seek to tee up one of the most in-demand fights in boxing.
