The Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Manny Pacquiao bout happened probably five years too late. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua still haven’t fought.
Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani are ready to square off now in what would be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history. No posturing, just two top pound-for-pound boxers in their prime seemingly willing to give fans what they want.
Here’s the catch: They each have one more fight and need to avoid a surprise before their expected showdown.
Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) is the undisputed super bantamweight (122 lbs) champion and the headliner Saturday in Saudi Arabia. He faces Mexico’s Alan David Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs). Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs), moving up in weight to make his debut in the division, faces Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (20-0, 18 KOs) — also Mexican — on the same card, a showcase of Japanese fighters.
“This is very important for Japanese boxing,” Inoue told The Associated Press through a translator.
Most important for Inoue and Nakatani, though, are victories that would clear the way for a blockbuster matchup, likely in Tokyo in May.
“Firstly, I have a plan to have a fight with Nakatani,” Inoue said of his goals for 2026. “Also, I have the idea that I may move up to the featherweight division.”
The buildup to the Riyadh event, billed as the “Night of the Samurai,” has been as much about Inoue-Nakatani as it has about their respective opponents Saturday. At a press event last month, promoters sat Inoue and Nakatani next to each other and made sure they were the last two off the stage during the photo session. The pair didn’t exchange chitchat or handshakes.
“Personally, I have no contact or connection with him,” the 32-year-old Inoue said. “Of course, I value his boxing, that’s why I’m looking forward to fighting him.”
Inoue’s nickname is ‘Monster’
With the retirement of Terence Crawford plus the injury layoff of undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, there’s a good argument that Inoue is now the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
The 5-foot-5 (1.65 meter) Japanese star, a four-division champion, uses precision combinations plus elite speed and power to dismantle opponents.
The Yokohama native has already fought three times this year, most recently a unanimous decision victory over Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September.
In two of his past five fights, Inoue has overcome an early knockdown — both times from a left hook — en route to stoppage victories. Luis Nery stunned a Tokyo Dome crowd in May 2024 when he sent Inoue to the canvas in the first round. One year later, Ramon Cardenas dropped Inoue in the second round in Las Vegas.
Inoue’s promoters made sure the Las Vegas fight was on ESPN rather than pay-per-view to expose him to a wider US audience. Bob Arum, Inoue’s promoter at Top Rank, had said he wants Inoue to reach Shohei Ohtani-level fame.
Inoue himself, however, isn’t so sure.
“Apart from the boxing, I’m a boring person. I just focus on boxing.”
Picasso: Nothing to lose
At 5-foot-8 (1.72 meters), Picasso has height and reach advantages on Inoue, but probably not much else. Inoue is a -3000 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook, and -700 to win by stoppage.
“The pressure is on Inoue, he needs to win,” the 25-year-old Picasso told AP, also through a translator. “I have nothing to lose. Everybody expects him to win.”
Picasso, who has studied neuroscience at university, vowed to take Inoue’s belts in what he said will be “Mexican Aztec warrior night.”
“I come to win. I will beat this guy. I will beat the Monster.”
Picasso’s training team includes cardio coach Germán Silva, who twice won the New York City Marathon (1994 and ’95).
Nakatani following Inoue’s path
Just like Inoue, the 27-year-old Nakatani has been collecting world titles as he’s progressed through weight categories. The three-division champion vacated his two belts at bantamweight to move from 118 lbs to 122 lbs.
“I feel I have gained power and speed as well,” he told AP.
Nakatani, nicknamed “Big Bang,” said he’s not overlooking his 25-year-old Mexican opponent: “He has a strong punch and he’s very strong-willed.”
Nakatani’s goal for 2026 is pretty simple.
“I’m going to be the champion at super bantamweight.”
How to watch
The event at the 22,000-capacity Mohammed Abdo Arena is available pay per view on DAZN with a subscription. The ring walk for Inoue’s fight is expected to be just before 4 p.m. local time (1 p.m. London, 8 a.m. ET), which is 10 p.m. in Japan. Nakatani’s bout is scheduled to begin about 70 minutes before Inoue’s fight.
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AP boxing: https://www.apnews.com/boxing
