Turki Al-Sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, is organizing a major boxing event scheduled for December 27 in Riyadh. The ambitious card will feature ten fights under the format "Japan versus the World," showcasing some of boxing's highest-ranked pound-for-pound fighters.
"We want to create a historic night of boxing that highlights the incredible talent coming from Japan against the best the world has to offer," industry sources close to Al-Sheikh report.
Negotiations are currently underway for several high-profile matchups. Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs), the undisputed super bantamweight champion from Japan, is expected to face Mexican contender Alan David Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs). Inoue currently ranks second in the global pound-for-pound rankings.
Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs), the WBC bantamweight champion and seventh in the P4P rankings, is slated to meet American Ramon Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs).
Completing the Japanese trio is former WBC and WBA flyweight champion Ken Shiro (25-2, 16 KOs), who will attempt to reclaim championship status against American Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs). Shiro currently holds the ninth position in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Interestingly, this event marks a rare occasion where three fighters from the same country simultaneously occupy positions in boxing's elite top-ten pound-for-pound list. Can Japan's technical precision overcome the diverse styles of their international opponents? The boxing world will be watching closely.
