The Ring V: Naoya Inoue vs. Picasso is disappointing while the Nakatani bolt delivers intrigue

Naoya Inoue against Alan Picasso will be in the so -called head on December 27 “The Ring V: Night of the Samurai” Opportunity in the Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Turki Alalshikh announced the card earlier today. The event is displayed directly on Dazn.

Some people question the wisdom to keep the map in Riyadh rather than Japan, given the fighters on the map and the official title of the event, ‘Night of the Samurai’.

Fans are not too excited about Inoue (31-0, 27 COs) facing Picasso (32-0-1, 17 COs) in the main event. The battle is considered a major retirement in class by Inoue (32), who comes against former Unified Super Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev last Sunday, September 14, from a unanimous decision from 12 round.

In the co-function, unbeaten Bantam weight Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 COs) will go up to the 122-pound division to resist unbeaten knockout artist Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (20-0, 18 COs).

It is a risky battle for Nakatani, 27, to take his first competition at Super Bantamweight, but he has to face a solid opponent to set up his mega fight against “monster” inoue in the spring of 2026 in the Tokyo dome in Japan.

Undercapable analysis

• Junto Nakatani against Sebastian Hernandez Reyes: It is a difficult battle for Nakatani on paper, with the no. 8 WBC, #10 WBO and #12 IBF Hernandez Reyes in his first competition at 122. Once again, there is a lot about Nakatani, because a loss here would ruin his big-money collision against Inhowing in 2026. We will find out if Nakatani is a hype. Hernandez Reyes can hit, and he will be an excellent test to show if Nakatani is ready for the next phase of his career against superstar inoue.
• Hayato Tsutsumi vs. Jazza Dickens: The WBA Super Featherweight interim title is at stake for this battle. This is the belt held by jazza (36-5, 15 COs). This is a big step in the class for the unbeaten Tsutsumi (8-0, 5 COs). If he loses, you will know why. He was not ready for this kind of step in just his ninth professional battle after three years as a pro. However, Tsutsumi is 27, who is not young for a fighter with only 9 fights, and he must be detected quickly. If his promoters take the slow approach, he would be in the thirties and perhaps too old to compete against the younger Super Featherweights.
• Kenshiro Tesji vs. Willibaldo Garcia is: Former WBC Flyweight Champion Teraji (25-2, 16 COs) gets a straight title against the IBF Super Flyweight Champion Garcia (23-6-2, 13 COs) in a new division. In the 33-year-old Teraji’s last fight, he was deprived of Ricardo Sandoval on July 30 and lost by a 12-round decision in Yokohama, Japan. Sandoval hit Teraji with real hands all night and took advantage of his inability to stop the punch. It is debatable whether Teraji earns an immediate world title that goes up to the section 115 pounds after its loss of Sandoval. At the very least Teraji had to fight the highest selected contender for the IBF’s ranking on Super Flyweight, Andrew Moloney, to put himself in position to fight for a world title.
• Taiga Imanaga vs. Armando Martinez: It is a lightweight match between the unbeaten Taiga (9-0, 5 COs) and the unbeaten Cuban Martinez (16-0, 15 COs). This is one that Taiga prefers, but it would not be a shock to Martinez to win. None of the fighters fought opposition during their short careers.
• Reito Tsutsumi vs. Leobardo Quintana Sanchez: The heavy-handed tsutsumi (3-0, 2 costs) battles Quintana Sanchez (11-1, 5 costs). It’s more a showcase battle for 23-year-old Tsutsumi, a big puncher.