In a masterful display of boxing prowess, Japanese superstar Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue successfully defended his undisputed super-bantamweight championship against Mexico’s Alan David Picasso Romero in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 32-year-old pound-for-pound elite demonstrated superior ring intelligence, lightning-fast hand speed, and devastating body shots throughout twelve rounds of dominant action.
Despite entering the bout with an impressive 34-0 record, the 25-year-old challenger found himself consistently outclassed by Inoue’s technical brilliance and strategic combinations. Official scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the contest, with judges submitting tallies of 119-109, 120-108, and 117-111 unanimously in favor of the champion.
Surprisingly, the four-division world champion expressed dissatisfaction with his performance during post-fight comments. ‘My performance tonight is not good enough—I should have done better,’ stated Inoue, maintaining his characteristic self-critical approach despite extending his perfect professional record to 32 victories with 27 knockouts.
The event also featured a controversial co-main event where Junto Nakatani, Inoue’s potential future opponent, secured a disputed decision over Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez Reyes. Two judges scored the competitive bout 115-113 while a third submitted a widely questioned 118-110 card, highlighting ongoing concerns about boxing judging standards.
With heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk observing ringside and former middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin attending in his capacity as World Boxing president, Inoue solidified his status as one of boxing’s premier attractions following Terence Crawford’s recent retirement.
The victory sets the stage for potential high-profile matchups in 2026, including a possible all-Japanese showdown with Nakatani or moves up to featherweight against opponents such as Liverpool’s WBA champion Nick Ball or unified super-flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.