A mouth-watering clash between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani should be near the top of every fan’s 2025 wish list, with both champions possessing devastating power and ingenious ring IQ.
Two-division undisputed king Inoue, 29-0 (26 KOs), comes off a blistering fourth-round stoppage victory over short notice opponent Ye Joon Kim, retaining his four super-bantamweight titles.
Then, shortly after his demolition job last month, the 31-year-old’s promoter, Top Rank boss Bob Arum, insisted that his next outing will be staged in the US.
Inoue’s last seven performances have all taken place in Tokyo, Japan, where the widely supported wrecking machine has cultivated a strong fanbase.
But now, it has been reported by The Ring Magazine that he will take on WBC mandatory challenger David Picasso at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The pair are set to square off on June 14, with unbeaten contender Picasso – whose best win came against Azat Hovhannisyan last year – entering by far the toughest test of his career.
In December, though, Inoue’s first fight under boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season banner is indeed expected to be staged in Saudi Arabia’s capital.
And while WBA interim titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev awaits his shot at the top dog, Alalshikh has told ESPN boxing journalist Mike Coppinger that Nakatani, 29-0 (22 KOs), is the preferred opponent for Inoue.
The WBC bantamweight champion, of course, is gearing up for a stern title defence against unbeaten Mexican David Cuellar on February 24.
However, it appears that the wheels are nonetheless in motion for a monumental collision between Inoue and Nakatani to take place at 122lbs.
