Naoya Inoue Gives Retirement Hint Ahead Of Alan Picasso Title Defense

Thirty-one fights into his undefeated professional boxing career, Naoya Inoue does not know how much more he has to give.

The 32-year-old undisputed 122-pound champion still loves the sport more than ever, but he can still sense that he is nearing his end. Inoue admitted that his time is "running out" ahead of his seventh consecutive super bantamweight title defense.

"My time in boxing is running out, so I want to give it all I can," Inoue said, via Top Rank Boxing on YouTube.

Inoue is not old by any means, but he is already 13 years into his professional boxing career. After conquering four divisions and claiming undisputed status in two different weight classes, he does not have much to prove.

Inoue is preparing to face undefeated title challenger Alan Picasso on Dec. 27, but his sights are truly set on former WBC and IBF bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani. The two Japanese superstars have not yet signed a bout agreement, but they are on a collision course to meet each other in 2026.

MORE: Naoya Inoue Focused On Picasso In Riyadh Showdown As Nakatani Bout Looms [Exclusive]

Inoue and Picasso headline a massive fight card billed as 'The Ring V: Night of the Samurai' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is a Ring Magazine and Riyadh Season event, but it features a lineup littered with Japanese talent, including Nakatani, who competes in the co-main event.

Nakatani vacated his titles to move up to the 122-pound division to prepare for an eventual matchup with Inoue. Before that fight can happen, he is scheduled to face the 20-0 Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in the 'Ring V' co-main event.

Naoya Inoue, Junto Nakatani set to face off in 2026

Junto Nakatani (left) and Naoya Inoue (right) during the JBC Annual Boxing Awards ceremony 2024 at Tokyo Dome Hotel. | IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

Inoue and Nakatani both have intriguing challenges to deal with on 'The Ring V,' but all signs point to a Japanese super fight in mid-2026. Inoue is already the greatest Japanese boxer of all time, and a fight with Nakatani would be inarguably the most significant in Japanese boxing history.

Should Inoue get past Picasso and Nakatani, there would not be much left for him to prove in his career. Terence Crawford's retirement already makes him arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and beating a credentialed champion like Nakatani would put him atop that list with a bullet.

Inoue does not have many A-list names on his record, with those coming at a premium in the smaller weight classes. Even then, collecting a win over Nakatani to end his career at 33-0 would put him in lockstep with Manny Pacquiao as potentially the greatest "small" fighter in boxing history.

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