Naoya Inoue's schedule

The undisputed junior featherweight champ is already inked to face Alan David Picasso Romero, his WBC mandatory on 12/27 assuming he successfully defends his titles later this month against Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

A couple of notes...

• Remaining undefeated through year's end, going 4-0 in 2025, has to make Inoue the automatic fighter of the year, no? Kim and Picasso are no great shakes but technically will both have been world ranked opponents (and the Korean proved expectedly game and almost managed to win a round ). Ramón “Dinamita” Cárdenas is a B+ contender and Akhmadaliev is a former champ and considered by most the second best super bantam h2h behind Inoue...with his one loss coming by controversial SD to later Inoue victim Marlon Tapales, who neatly swerved a rematch. That is one top shelf, one very good, and two "just okay" defenses...but tell me what other undisputed champs in the sport are squeezing in FOUR dates in a calendar year right now?
• Might this be Inoue's best ever year? Again, half the opposition is subpar, but the other two stack up with most any pair from past years...and this will be only the second time Inoue has fought for times in a year, not having done so since his sophomore season in 2013 (debuted in 2012, fought 4x in 2013, thrice in 2014, once in 2015, thrice in 2016, thrice in 2017, twice in 2018, twice in 2019, once in 2020, twice in 2021, twice in 2022, twice in 2023, and twice in 2024). Fulton and Tapales might stand as the most quality Inoue has packed into a single January-December period and I'm not sure the Akhmadaliev/Cárdenas due doesn't rival it.
• The man is 32 years old, and began his career all the way down at 108lbs, now campaigning in his fifth weight class and eyeing a sixth. He is still in prime form in the ring but we have to face the fact that, whether due to ability diminishing with age, or his body starting to break down with injuries, or simply due to having no more available challenges or paydays, we may be winding down on the Monster era. If we assume then, that this could be among his final years - let's say he makes the jump to feather for a few fights in 2026 and then retires - what do we make of his career in retrospect? What would we have liked to see him achieve that now stand as missed opportunities? As a Kazuto Ioka fan, I've long felt he deserved the massive domestic blockbuster that an Inoue match would be - but I also am glad for his sake it never came off, because he would've gotten wrecked. Then there is Junto Nakatani, speaking of anticipated all-Japan showdowns. He never did link up again with Casimero after their original scheduled match was scuppered due to Covid-19 in 2020...but meh. I'm not sure how much missing Casimero harms his legacy tbh. There was a window when he could've met Chocolatito (in fact a contract was sent), Estrada or Wangek...but he outgrew the flyweight division pretty quickly. Let's say he is unsuccessful at featherweight and loses - how do we rate his accomplishments from 2012-2025? (assuming victories over Akhmadaliev and Picasso)

 

...you're assuming Bam gets past FDM.

 

Well, it's already set in stone that Picasso's next (unless Inoue loses this month, I guess)

Ball will have to wait for 2026. Where do you reckon he ranks among the belt holders at 126, in terms of difficulty for Inoue? You have:

Ball - WBA
Cuello - WBA interim
Fulton rematch - WBC
Carrington - WBC interim
Leo - IBF
Espinoza - WBO

 

Yeah for a literal cab driver, Cárdenas is pretty good.

He and MJ are probably roughly equal to Fulton & Tapales in overall quality, but on paper the #1 and #2 rankings does elevate 2023. But then, does it elevate it enough to compensate for two additional defenses over C level guys? Hard to say...

 

Good question. Obviously a win over Canelo is worth more than, say, Akhmadaliev plus Kim, or Cárdenas plus Picasso...but all four?

Even a tune-up earlier in the year for Bud, over a lower grade super middle like a Cornflake LaManna, would have tipped it squarely his way.

(then again, that would take some off the luster off the feat of jumping all the way up feetfirst taking Canelo as his first opponent in the division)

 

How far above Fulton or Tapales would you place him?

(guessing you saw Akhmadaliev being robbed versus Tapales)