Bob Arum has damaged down the 2025 plans for unified super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. In talking with Sky Sports activities, Arum mentioned that after Inoue’s January twenty fourth battle with IBF necessary challenger Sam Goodman, “The Monster” will return to the US, the place he’ll battle unbeaten however largely unknown Mexican Alan David Picasso. Arum says Junto Nakatani, with whom Inoue is inching ever nearer to participating in a large all-Japanese conflict, will function on the cardboard, which is deliberate for April.
After which, assuming all goes properly and each Japanese stars have remained unbeaten, they may rumble inside The Tokyo Dome later this 12 months. It is a battle that Arum says will probably be “the most important within the historical past of Japan.”
Inoue, 28-0(25) can’t afford any slip ups, then, towards both Goodman, 19-0(8), or Picasso, 31-0-1(17). Whereas Nakatani, 29-0(22) should come by okay in his February twenty fourth WBC bantamweight title defence towards David Cuellar. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see who Nakatani fights on the deliberate April double-header, which is prone to happen in Las Vegas. Nonetheless, the huge battle between Inoue and Nakatani is the battle everybody not named Murodjon Akhmadaliev needs to see (“MJ” claiming Inoue is ducking him, with these claims to stay in place ought to Inoue battle Picasso in April, and never the way more deserving Akhmadaliev).
“The December 24 battle [against Goodman, which was postponed due to Goodman suffering a cut] is now going to be held on January 24 in order that’s finished, written in stone,” Arum mentioned to Sky Sports activities Boxing. “After which after that battle we count on to convey Inoue to america to battle in Las Vegas towards this Mexican fighter named Picasso. Which we’re going to have quite a lot of enjoyable with. He’s a very good fighter, Picasso. Then we’ll even have on that card the bantamweight champion, Nakatani. An amazing fighter and if Inoue and Nakatani win their fights, which is able to in all probability be in April, then they’d battle one another for the 122 pound title in Japan on the Tokyo Dome, which might be the most important battle within the historical past of Japan.”
It positive seems like a plan, and once more, who doesn’t wish to see Inoue match his abilities towards these of southpaw Nakatani? It might be a large occasion in Japan if these two did get it on, with followers from all around the world tuning in to see who triumphs. Let’s first see how Inoue will get in towards Goodman after which Picasso and the way Nakatani does in his battle with Cuellar after which TBA.
Who wins if/when Inoue and Nakatani meet in the direction of the tip of the 12 months?
