WBC SPECIAL PREVIEW: Inoue vs Picasso
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship
December 27, 2025 / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia / Mohammed Abdo Arena
OHASHI PROMOTION PRESENTS:
NAOYA “Monster” INOUE (Japan)
· WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion, 7th defense
· IBF, WBA, and WBO Super Bantamweight World Champion
· Former WBC Bantamweight World Champion, 1 Title Defense
· Former WBC Light Flyweight World Champion, 1 Title Defense
· Former Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation Light Flyweight Champion…
Age: 32 / Date of birth: April 10, 1993
Residence, birthplace: Zama, Kanagawa, Japan
Record: 31-0, 27 KOs / Total rounds: 193 / World championship fights: 25-0, 22 KOs
Height: 5’5” – 165cm / Reach: 67.5” – 171cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Sayuri Ohashi / Trainer: Shingo Inoue
DAVID PICASSO (Mexico)
· Ranked WBC No. 2 at Super Bantamweight
· Former 2-time WBC Silver junior featherweight champion…
· Former North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior featherweight champion…
· Former WBC Youth Intercontinental featherweight champion…
· Former WBC Youth Intercontinental junior featherweight champion…
Age: 25 / Date of birth: July 22, 2000
Residence, birthplace: Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Record: 32-0-1, 17 KOs / Total rounds: 185
Height: 5’8” – 173cm / Reach: 70” – 178cm / Stance: Right-handed
Trainer: Alfonso Picasso
WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Rigoberto Riasco (Panama) 1976
2. Royal Kobayashi (Japan) 1976
3. Dong-Kyun Yum (Korea) 1976 – 1977
4. Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico) 1977 – 1982
5. Jaime Garza (USA) 1983 – 1984
6. Juan Meza (USA) 1984 – 1985
7. Lupe Pintor (Mexico) 1985 – 1986
8. Samart Payakaroon (Thailand) 1986 – 1987
9. Jeff Fenech (Australia) 1987 – 1988
10. Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) 1988 – 1990
11. Paul Banke (USA) 1990
12. Pedro Decima (Argentina) 1990 – 1991
13. Kiyoshi Hatanaka (Japan) 1991
14. Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) * 1991 – 1992
15. Thierry Jacob (France) 1992
16. Tracy Patterson (USA) 1992 – 1994
17. Hector Acero-Sanchez (Dominican Republic) 1994 – 1995
18. Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) * 1995 – 1997
19. Erik Morales (Mexico) 1997 – 2000
20. Willie Jorrin (USA) 2000 – 2002
21. Oscar Larios (Mexico) 2002 – 2005
22. Israel Vazquez (Mexico) 2005 – 2007
23. Rafael Marquez (Mexico) 2007
24. Israel Vazquez (Mexico) * 2007 – 2008
25. Toshiaki Nishioka (Japan) 2008 – 2012
26. Abner Mares (Mexico) 2012 – 2013
27. Victor Terrazas (Mexico) 2013
28. Leo Santa Cruz (Mexico) 2013 – 2015
29. Julio Ceja (Mexico) 2015 – 2016
30. Hugo Ruiz (Mexico) 2016
31. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan) 2016
32. Rey Vargas (Mexico) 2017 – 2020
33. Tomoki Kameda (Japan) Interim 2018
34. Luis Nery (Mexico) 2020 – 2021
35. Brandon Figueroa (USA) 2021
36. Stephen Fulton Jr. (USA) 2021 – 2023
37. Naoya Iinoue (Japan) 2023 –
* Regained title
WBC TOP 10 SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico)
2. Erik Morales (Mexico)
3. Jeff Fenech (Australia)
4. Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico)
5. Israel Vazquez (Mexico)
6. Abner Mares (Mexico)
7. Leo Santa Cruz (Mexico)
8. Tracy Patterson (US)
9. Oscar Larios (Mexico)
10. Royal Kobayashi (Japan)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:
34 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only two have regained the title: Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) two times, Israel Vazquez (Mexico).
122 WBC super bantamweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.
Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico) holds the record for super bantamweight world title defenses with 17.
Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) made 14 title defenses in three periods as champion.
Oscar Larios (Mexico) made 10 title defenses.
MEMORABLE WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
Sep. 14, 2025 Naoya Inoue W12 Murodjon Akhmadaliev – Nagoya, Japan
May 4, 2025 Naoya Inoue TKO8 Ramon Cardenas – Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan. 24, 2025 Naoya Inoue TKO4 Ye Joon Kim – Tokyo, Japan
Sept. 3, 2024 Naoya Inoue TKO7 T.J. Doheny – Tokyo, Japan
May 6, 2024 Naoya Inoue TKO6 Luis Nery – Tokyo, Japan
Dec. 26, 2023 Naoya Inoue KO10 Marlon Tapales – Tokyo, Japan
July 25, 2023 Naoya Inoue TKO8 Stephen Fulton – Tokyo, Japan
June 4, 2022 Stephen Fulton Jr. W12 Danny Roman – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nov. 27, 2021 Stephen Fulton Jr. W12 Brandon Figueroa – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 15, 2021 Brandon Figueroa KO7 Luis Nery – Carson, California
Sep. 26, 2020 Luis Nery W12 Aaron Alameda – Uncasville, Connecticut
Feb. 25, 2017 Rey Vargas W12 Gavin McDonnell – Hull, England
Sep. 16, 2016 Hozumi Hasegawa TKO9 Hugo Ruiz – Osaka, Japan
Feb. 27, 2016 Hugo Ruiz TKO1 Julio Ceja – Anaheim, California
Aug. 29, 2015 Julio Ceja TKO5 Hugo Ruiz – Los Angeles, California
Aug. 24, 2013 Leo Santa Cruz KO3 Victor Terrazas – Carson, California
Nov. 10, 2012 Abner Mares W12 Anselmo Moreno – Los Angeles, California
May 23, 2009 Toshiaki Nishioka TKO3 Jhonny Gonzalez – Monterrey, Mexico
Mar. 1, 2008 Israel Vazquez W12 Rafael Marquez – Carson, California
Aug. 4, 2007 Israel Vazquez TKO6 Rafael Marquez – Hidalgo, Texas
Mar. 3, 2007 Rafael Marquez TKO7 Israel Vazquez – Carson, California
Dec. 3, 2005 Israel Vazquez TKO3 Oscar Larios – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 17, 2002 Oscar Larios TKO12 Israel Vazquez – Sacramento, California
Feb. 19, 2000 Erik Morales W12 Marco Antonio Barrera – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 6, 1996 Erik Morales KO11 Daniel Zaragoza – El Paso, Texas
Nov. 6, 1995 Daniel Zaragoza W12 Hector Acero-Sanchez – Inglewood, California
Aug. 26, 1994 Hector Acero-Sanchez W12 Tracy Harris Patterson – Atlantic City
June 23, 1992 Tracy Harris Patterson TKO2 Thierry Jacob – Albany, New York
Mar. 20, 1992 Thierry Jacob W12 Daniel Zaragoza – Calais, France
Feb. 29, 1988 Daniel Zaragoza TKO10 Carlos Zarate – Inglewood, California
May 8, 1987 Jeff Fenech KO4 Samart Payakaroon – Sydney, Australia
Jan. 18, 1986 Samart Payakaroon KO5 Lupe Pintor – Bangkok, Thailand
Aug. 18, 1985 Lupe Pintor W12 Juan Meza – Mexico City, Mexico
Nov. 3, 1984 Juan Meza KO1 Jaime Garza – Kingston, New York
June 15, 1983 Jaime Garza TKO2 Bobby Berna – Los Angeles, California
Dec. 3, 1982 Wilfredo Gomez TKO14 Lupe Pintor – New Orleans, Louisiana
Oct. 28, 1978 Wilfredo Gomez TKO5 Carlos Zarate – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jan. 19, 1978 Wilfredo Gomez KO3 Royal Kobayashi – Kitakyushu, Japan
Oct. 9, 1976 Royal Kobayashi KO8 Rigoberto Riasco – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 3, 1976 Rigoberto Riasco TKO9 Waruinge Nakayama – Panama City, Panama
Fly in the ointment- Picasso Vs Inoue
By James Blears
Formidable Undisputed super-bantamweight Champion Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue, defends his title for the sixth time, on this occasion against Alan David ‘’El Rey’’ Picasso on Saturday December 27th in the 22,000 seater Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Aged thirty- two, Naoya is arguably, currently Boxing`s hottest property, with a quadruple storey resume. The cream of the crop. His Promoter Bob Arum has said of him: ‘’Naoya is the best fighter I have ever seen in nearly sixty years.’’ With an undefeated record of 31-0, 27 KO`s, he`s swept through four weight divisions like a typhoon, becoming a quartet champion and Undisputed in two. This is his fourth defence this year. Only former unified champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev has lasted the distance, losing a wide UD, although he briefly wobbled the Great one with a right hook in the twelfth and final round. Yes…he is mortal.
Since his debut in 2012, Naoya has brought and inflicted a mantle of thrills, spills and pure excitement upon boxing, most often in his homeland of Nippon. He`s lightning fast, heavy handed, tactically brilliant and a mighty clever opportunist. A ruthless finisher, Naoya often weakens and diminishes resistance, with a blistering, weltering, slating and eye watering piano scale body attack to the slats, prior to moving upstairs, to end it all for an early night.
No getting away from it, this is a daunting challenge for Alan David Picasso due to all of these reasons, but also for another. Three division champion Junto ‘’Big Bang’’ Nakatani who is also undefeated, has just moved up to Super-bantam and is fighting Sebastian Hernandez Reyes on the same bill.
Provided Naoya and Junto win, the plan is still neatly and precisely in place, to match them up in the Tokyo Superdome in the coming months, for the biggest fight in Japanese history. So, it`s Sebastian and Alan David`s avowed aim and task, to ruin and alter the masterplan by each trying to become a fly in the ointment. They know full well, that they`re standing squarely and resolutely in the way on the golden paved road to Xanadu.
WBC Silver Champion Alan David Picasso, aged twenty-five, is the mandatory challenger to Naoya`s Crown and undefeated, with an impressive record of 32-0-1, 17 KO`s. He`s tall and rangy, with a long reach and he`ll need to use this judicially as well as astutely, so as to fend off the oncoming whirlwind onslaught of Naoya, who will seek to unleash a windmill of punches to place the Mexican on the treadmill of severe, exacting, extracting pressure.
Picasso is under no illusions of the magnitude of the task at hand, and the need to avoid being canvassed. He said: ‘’There`s no secret weapon to defeating Inoue. I`m never going to pretend I know it all. It`s all about learning, growing and that`s what I aim to do. I do have the weapons from long range. I will go for the body. It`s a matter of harnessing skills and lessons.’’
Picasso stands five feet eight inches tall. He has a seventy inches reach. Inoue is three inches shorter in height. His reach extends sixty- seven and a half inches. To win Picasso will have to keep him at distance and at bay. Picasso will also have to effectively use his trademark left hook to the liver and ribs, to gain the attention plus respect of Inoue by landing hard and landing early.
In his first fight against Inoue, Nonito Donaire landed a crunching left hook to the right side of Inoue`s face, simultaneously breaking his nose, fracturing his orbital bone and slicing open his brow, also causing double vision. Luis Nery dropped Inoue with a left hook in round one. Ramon Cardenas decked him with a counter left hook in round two. All this travail to no avail, because all of them lost. But they caused Inoue problems and brief pause for thought early on. A brief respite in spite of what followed on. Picasso`s best punch is his left hook. He needs to use it and use it often to good effect, to stem the flow and check the surging advance.
His most recent fight was an exacting MD victory against tough and resourceful Kyonosuke Kameda saying it was a good test, excellent preparation and he learned a lot from it. Previously, he also fought a war against Azat Hovhanisyan winning a deserved UD. And he punched all the resistance out of Sabelo Ngebinyana for a TKO win in six, to hold aloft the WBC Silver title.
But in this upcoming fight against The Monster, he simply can`t afford a toe to toe, close quarters slugfest, at which Naoya excels and thoroughly relishes. Rather, he must keep his distance and box, using every scrap of ingenuity, guile and intelligence he possesses. Never before will he have been tested under pressure like this. Alan David has prudently and practically been undergoing strength and intensive conditioning, to toughen his willowy body into tensile steel. But he must evade, rather than engage and box rather than fight, remaining clear- headed, while avoiding being befuddled.
Naoya has said that Alan David has an aggressive style, but he will deal with it and him with respect but in a circumspect manner. Chillingly, he has said: ‘’Power alone isn`t enough. Precision is the true game changer.’’ Aware of his opponent`s eye catching name, he`s also said: ‘’Boxing is an art and my gloves are the brush.’’
The challenge facing fresh-faced Alan David Picasso is immense, but that`s what sets boxers and particularly Mandatory Challengers apart from mere mortals. They are imbued with self-belief and single-minded ambition. To win the Mexican will have to do something radically different and uniquely effective. Something that none of Inoue`s previous opponents have managed to figure or achieve. Three of them sprang a surprise, but were none the less defeated down the stretch.
Alan David`s famous namesake Pablo Picasso pointed to this strategy, suggesting: ‘’Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist. Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.’’
Alan David Picasso must somehow dissect Naoya`s style and try to surgically bamboozle him, with some dazzling faultless boxing. A divine style- council masterclass. Uncle Pablo also said: ‘’God is really another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things.’’
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