A brief backstage tension broke out ahead of Naoya Inoue’s undisputed super bantamweight title defense against Alan David Picasso in Riyadh on Saturday after questions were raised about Inoue’s hand wraps.
Video clips circulating on X showed that there was a disagreement in Inoue’s dressing room during the wrapping process, with a commission official or a representative of Picasso’s team objecting to the method being used. Voices were raised and Inoue’s team was instructed to re-wrap the hands to comply with local rules.
The issue centered on Inoue’s longtime preference for a “stacking” technique, where tape is applied directly to the skin before layers of mesh are added. That method is allowed in Japan and in some US jurisdictions, but is restricted or banned elsewhere due to concerns that it could create a harder surface over the knuckles.
Similar disputes have followed Inoue in the past, including before his rematch with Nonito Donaire in 2022 and before the Stephen Fulton fight in 2023, when his casings were changed after objections.
Saturday’s meeting at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, promoted under the Riyadh season and streamed on DAZN, went ahead as planned after Inoue’s team complied. No map delay was reported, and the incident was treated as routine pre-fight protocol rather than a major escalation.
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Last updated on 27/12/2025
