Boxing
Naoya Inoue teases Junto Nakatani homecoming as shock American opponent mooted for superstar
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Naoya Inoue teased a prospective super-bantamweight showdown with domestic rival Junto Nakatani in 2026, but admitted he would "love to wait" for Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez.
'The Monster' secured a comfortable unanimous decision victory over Alan Picasso to retain his titles at Riyadh's Mohammed Abdo Arena at The Ring V: Night of the Samurai.
His success came shortly after three-weight champion Nakatani won on his debut in the division, scoring a win of his own against a tough Sebastian Hernandez in Saudi Arabia.
Asked afterwards in the ring about a bout with his fellow Japanese star, Inoue played coy on a clash but acknowledged his home supporters would relish his next challenge too.
"Both of us had a very good win tonight," Inoue told DAZN's broadcast team. "We will have to wait and see. But for the Japanese fans, you can expect something very good.
"My performance tonight was not good enough. I should have done better. I'm very happy that I could win, but I'm really tired now, so I'll have to rest for a while."
Rodriguez, the current unified super-flyweight champion, has been one name often linked to a possible challenge against Inoue, despite their differences in weight.
While the latter seems unwilling to step down to meet any challenge, he admitted that he is open to an encounter with the American if he can make his way up the divisions.
"When he's ready, and if he can fight at super bantamweight," he added on a prospective clash. "If we can time it perfectly together, I'd love to wait for him to challenge me."
Inoue tees up 2026 homecoming to remember
DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel
Two fights at home, two fights away - and four wins that further enshrine Naoya Inoue's place in the pantheon of pound-for-pound greats down the sport's generations.
Before fellow modern great Oleksandr Usyk at ringside, 'The Monster' put on a clinic in the Middle East to dismiss the challenge of Alan Picasso, spirited as it was.
It came after Junto Nakatani kept up his end of the bargain on debut in the super-bantamweight class, too, albeit with wider scorecards than his performance suggested.
Neither man will complain. Their victories will only stoke speculation that the pair - world champions in multiple weight classes - will meet for a high-stakes homecoming.
Both Inoue and Nakatani have never tasted professional defeat. Both are considered superstars of the domestic scene. A dance at Tokyo Dome has been mooted for them.
If it comes to pass, then we might already have our fight-of-the-year contender for 2026 locked and loaded. Only time will tell from here on out.
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