Naoya Inoue hit 121.5. Alan Picasso came in at 121.1. Both looked dry, skin tight, eyes bright — but that only tells you how the weigh-in went, not how they’ll breathe once the lights hit. Inoue’s pacing himself these days — rolling the shoulders, too content to work behind a measured jab. It’s smart, but maybe too smart. He’s lost that mean streak that used to break rhythm just to remind the other guy he’s trapped. Now he’s managing the clock, not owning it.
That gives Picasso air. The Mexican works tall, keeps the front foot live, hangs that jab just long enough to lure a bite. He doesn’t explode — he slides in behind the trigger. Inoue’s patience turns into stillness, and stillness gets timed. Picasso doesn’t need snap; he needs flow. If Inoue gives him three calm rounds to calibrate, those mid-range hooks start landing on the turn. That’s when the Monster stops hunting and starts thinking — the most dangerous phase for a puncher.
Nakatani Needs to Make It Ugly
Junto Nakatani hit 121.6. Hernandez 120.8. Junto’s shape looks sharp, but the rhythm’s been clean in all the wrong ways. He’s been punching for optics — nice form, safe tempo. Hernandez doesn’t care. He’ll square up, crowd the stance, swing through clinches. He fights like a guy allergic to distance.
If Junto tries to fence from range, he’ll get walked down and mauled on the inside. He needs to bang short, clinch, pivot off, re‑assert command — set the lead foot before Hernandez does. Too neat, and he gets drowned. Too wild, and he risks getting clipped while resetting. Somewhere between chaos and craft sits survival.
Teraji on the Edge of Efficiency
114.5 Teraji. 113.9 Garcia. That’s fine on paper. Not fine in rhythm. Teraji used to double the jab, roll under, bully guys backward. The new version stands off-center, waits to counter, trims the output. When you start “budgeting” punches, you start losing minutes. Garcia throws in bursts, no pause — just hands, sweat, and stubborn.
Teraji’s accuracy means nothing if Garcia keeps nicking rounds with hustle. The champ’s ring IQ still sharp, but that alone doesn’t win under Saudi lights where volume looks better on camera. He’s walking the line between veteran patience and getting outworked.
All three look carved, balanced, professional. But once the bell rings, mirrors lie. You find truth when the mouthpiece rattles and the legs don’t listen.
Ring V PPV Start Times
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
Start time: 6 PM ET / 11 PM UK
Ring V will be Live on DAZN
Venue: Mohammed Abdu Arena, Boulevard City, Riyadh
How much is Inoue vs Picasso PPV?
- Price: £19.99 in the UK / $69.99 in the U.S. and Canada
- Bonus: Seven‑day free trial of the full DAZN platform, including all live regional events
- Fans can also watch through DAZN’s new Ultimate tier, a higher-priced subscription that bundles most pay-per-view events for roughly $44.99.
Broadcast start: 12 PM in Riyadh / 9 AM GMT / 4 AM ET / 2 AM PT / 6 PM Tokyo
Main event ringwalks (approx): 4 PM KSA / 1 PM GMT / 9 AM ET
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related News:
- Inoue and Nakatani Arrive in Riyadh With Everything on the Line
- Inoue vs. Picasso Tops Dec. 27 Riyadh Card; Nakatani Co-Features
- Kenshiro Teraji Insists He Is Far From Done; Aims To Take Willibaldo Garcia’s IBF Junior Bantam Belt, Then Fight “Bam” Rodriguez
- Why Artur Beterbiev Can’t Wait on a Dmitry Bivol Trilogy
- Bozy Ennis Sees Andy Cruz Handling Raymond Muratalla
- Fans Question Bakhram Murtazaliev Ahead of Josh Kelly Title Defence
Last Updated on 12/26/2025