Inoue vs Picasso targeted for June 14 in Las Vegas

Naoya Inoue will reportedly face WBC no. 1 Alan Picasso this June in the second of four planned fights this year

The Ring’s Keith Idec reported yesterday that Naoya Inoue’s next three bouts would see him face WBC mandatory Alan Picasso this June in Las Vegas before a September homecoming and December Riyadh Season debut, both opposite TBA. Now, Salvador Rodriguez brings word that Inoue vs Picasso is targeted for June 14th.

Inoue (29-0, 26 KO) hasn’t fought in the States since a two-fight stint saw him take out Jason Moloney in 2020 and Michael Dasmarinas eight months later, a series that came about when COVID scrapped a planned showdown with John Riel Casimero. His last bout in January saw him demolish late replacement Ye Joon Kim, who stepped in with Sam Goodman pulled out for the second time in a month.

A five-fight 2024 saw Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KO) dispatch four limited opponents and, more notably, veteran Azat Hovhannisyan in a WBC final eliminator in August. He’s got skills and a fan-friendly, high-volume approach, but ostensibly lacks the stopping power to go toe-to-toe with “The Monster.”

That’s not a knock on him, of course. His great sin is sharing a generation with Inoue.

There is one potential wrench in the gears, though, and that’s WBA mandatory Murodjon Akhmadaliev. “MJ” has quite clearly been in the queue longer than Picasso by virtue of beating Kevin Gonzalez two Decembers ago. Any sanctioning body worth its salt would force Inoue to either fight him next or pay a step-aside fee, but unfortunately for Akhmadaliev, he’s stuck with the WBA.

If there’s a consolation prize, it’s that Akhmadaliev will probably get a significantly higher payday by waiting until Turki controls the purse strings.