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Naoya Inoue vs. Alan Picasso: Who has the edge heading into their fight?
Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue has already delivered three scintillating defenses of his undisputed super bantamweight world championship this year alone.
The pound-for-pound sensation will look to close out 2025 with an exclamation point Saturday when he defends his crown against undefeated Mexican fighter Alan Picasso in the main event of Ring V in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and live on DAZN Pay-Per-View .
Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) was dominant in his unanimous decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September, though it snapped his streak of 11 consecutive knockouts. He will be challenged by Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs) who is also undefeated but has never fought a quality of opponent quite like ‘The Monster.’
Will Inoue crush Picasso in a year-ending statement to pave the way for a potential mega clash with fellow Japanese fighter Junto Nakatani in 2026? Or will Picasso somehow manage to capture the crown in a stunning upset? DAZN News examines who has the edge between the undisputed king and his challenger entering this weekend.
Boxing Styles
Whether lasering straight shots, uncorking blistering uppercuts or stringing together electric combinations, Naoya 'The Monster' Inoue is a thrilling boxer. His accuracy and hand speed just add to his threats. It is why he could very well be the pound-for-pound best, especially since Terence Crawford recently retired.
His scintillating style will be up against Alan Picasso who at 5-foot-8 is a long, rangy fighter who enjoys digging into opponents with uppercuts and doubling up on shots with his 70 inches of reach.
If there is a knock to Picasso's sweet science artistry it might be that he tends to keep his head on the center line a bit too much — an area Inoue can exploit.
Edge: Inoue
Power
‘The Monster,’ true to his in-ring moniker, touts an 87 percent knockout ratio with 27 of his 31 victories coming by way of stoppage.
The number itself is high but when you watch the quality of knockouts he has registered — ranging from dynamic to mind-numbing — and it is abundantly clear why Inoue is a pound-for-pound king.
Picasso has power but not on par with Inoue’s.
Edge: Inoue
Mental Warfare
At 32, Inoue has been openly talking about retirement and playing a hand toward the success of Japan’s next wave of fighters.
That said, ‘The Monster’ has plenty of beaming light ahead of him in the sweet science and a victory over Picasso could set up the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history if fellow countryman Junto Nakatani is successful against Sebastian Hernandez in Saturday’s Ring V co-main event.
Although Picasso has plenty of motivation to create a giant splash for himself, Inoue’s mindset for a win and a sold-out Tokyo Dome with Nakatani provides incentive.
In addition, Inoue’s experience against a higher quality of opponents gives him all the mental warfare advantage needed under the spotlight that Picasso is missing.
Edge: Inoue
Who has the edge in Inoue vs. Picasso?
Perhaps Luis Nery (May 2024) and Ramon Cardenas (May 2025) gave fighters a glimmer of a blueprint against Inoue in knocking ‘The Monster’ down via counter left hook early in their respective fights, proving the Japanese sensation is not invincible. But Inoue rebounded to overwhelm each of them in astounding fashion.
Until someone can keep him down or outpoint him, it is difficult to pick against Inoue and his overflowing skills. It is why DAZN News is giving Inoue the 3-0 edge entering Saturday night to close out 2025 with a bang and usher in the New Year with some more alluring fights on deck.
Watch Ring V Inoue vs. Picasso on DAZN PPV
Naoya Inoue and Alan Picasso headline the Ring V fight night, exclusively on DAZN PPV this Saturday, December 27.
Purchase as a one-off PPV, or get included at no extra cost with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription, which includes minimum of 12 PPV events per year, plus another 185 fight nights. Monthly and annual options available.
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