Boxing
A domestic dream, a rearranged dance and hidden rivals: What next for Naoya Inoue in 2026?
Naoya Inoue completed a clean sweep of undisputed super-bantamweight defences when he defeated Alan Picasso in Riyadh on Saturday.
'The Monster' locked out a superb 2025 with another victory as he headlined The Ring V: Night of the Samurai at Mohammed Abdo Arena.
Success for both Inoue and compatriot Junto Nakatani on the same bill now has set the stage for a domestic dream bout in Tokyo next year.
Bar a major injury, it seems unlikely that anything else will be his first assignment of 2026 - but what other challenges could await the star too?
DAZN News studies the next options for Inoue after his latest triumph - and just what each will mean for his glittering pound-for-pound legacy.
A dream domestic mega-fight
With victory for the pair of them in Saudi Arabia this past weekend, Japanese boxing has the chance to make one of its greatest-ever bouts.
On paper, the pairing of Inoue with fellow multiple-weight world champion Nakatani is the kind of super-fight that so often misses the mark.
But there's no past glories here. This is two men in the prime of their professional lives, with unbeaten records and hall-of-famer futures to boot.
If there is a wobble to be had, it is that Nakatani, on his debut at super-bantamweight, found the going tough against Sebastian Hernandez.
That could flag concerns that Inoue might overwhelm him - but the potential for a Tokyo Dome encounter is surely too great for either to pass up.
A rearranged dance with destiny
While Inoue teased his potential clash with Nakatani, the former has no shortage of stars who want a crack at him across the rest of the division.
'The Monster' has conquered plenty of them already - Marlon Tapales, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Ramon Cardenas and TJ Doheny, to name a few.
But there is one top-ten contender that the star has unfinished business with, in the shape of former Australian featherweight king Sam Goodman.
The pair were meant to meet last December, but two training injuries forced a postponement and then a subsequent cancellation of their encoutner.
Goodman has sinced moved to featherweight, with a defeat to WBA champion Nick Ball, but could surely drop back down and make it third time lucky.
A challenge from above or below
In taking on Nakatani, Inoue will welcome another challenge from a contender making the step up or down to try their luck in the ring with 'The Monster'.
The star has been adamant that he will not move from this division - his fourth successful reign - for another challenge anytime soon, inviting foes to him.
Jesse Rodriguez's name was floated around this weekend in the Middle East, with both Inoue and Eddie Hearn suggesting a bout could be worked there.
But Ball, who returns to action early in the new year following his success over Goodman, has made no secret of his willingness to pursue a test as well.
One man who surely won't come knocking on the door is Inoue's brother Takuma. The star recently earned the WBC bantamweight crown in November.
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