Picasso, sometimes listed as David Alan Picasso, is the WBC mandatory challenger. That explains the game. Other than that, there isn’t much buzz around it. The fight is happening because it’s mandatory, not because fans pushed for it.
That context is hard to ignore, even with Inoue still performing at a high level. He remained active throughout 2025 and remains one of the sport’s most reliable finishers. None of that has changed. What has shifted is the tolerance around whom he is being matched.
The rest of the card adds to that feeling.
Junto Nakatani is on the same show and makes his debut at 122 pounds against Sebastian Hernandez, also listed as Sebastian Hernandez Reyes.
His ascent was closely watched. So was the decision to put him on the same card as Inoue. No fight was announced, but the discussion didn’t go away.
The undercard has already taken a hit. Hayato Tsutsumi’s interim WBA super featherweight title fight against Jazza Dickens has been cancelled, thinning the line-up and removing one of the fights that attracted real interest.
Kenshiro Teraji now stands out more on the bill. He is set to challenge defending IBF junior bantamweight champion Willibaldo Garcia, sometimes listed as Willibaldo Garcia Perez. With the Dickens bout off the card, this is now one of the remaining championship matches on the night.
Inoue is still the anchor. It hasn’t changed. The difference is in how the game is received. It’s more about who he fights than how he fights.
The event is streaming on DAZN as part of Riyadh Season’s year-end schedule. Inoue will do what he usually does. The bigger question is how long this kind of match goes on before something more significant is put before him.
