Following Naoya Inoue's sixth defense of his undisputed super bantamweight titles against Alan David Picasso, Junto Nakatani won a points decision over Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in his division debut on the Night of the Samurai card in Riyadh. The dual victories by Japan's unbeaten stars heighten anticipation for a historic 2026 showdown.
The December 28, 2025, 'Night of the Samurai' event in Riyadh featured Japan's elite boxers Naoya Inoue (32, 32-0, 27 KOs) and Junto Nakatani (27, 32-0, 24 KOs) both extending their perfect records.
Inoue, fresh off his unanimous decision win over Picasso—detailed in prior coverage—received ring congratulations from heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Speaking to DAZN, he teased big news: “Both of us had a very good win tonight. We will have to wait and see. But for the Japanese fans, you can expect something very good.”
Nakatani, vacating bantamweight titles to move up from 118 to 122 pounds, outpointed Mexico's Sebastian Hernandez Reyes (scores: 115-113, 115-113, 118-110) in a competitive bout.
These results have sparked buzz for a potential 2026 megafight between the pair, billed as the biggest in Japanese boxing history. Inoue, admitting post-fight exhaustion in his Saudi debut and second straight decision win, also mentioned interest in super flyweight champ Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez at 122 pounds. Per The Japan Times, he felt below his usual standard but remains motivated.
The card, broadcast on DAZN, showcased Japanese dominance abroad.
