"Inoue, widely regarded as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world alongside Oleksandr Usyk and the recently retired Terence Crawford, was in control from the opening bell at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, neutralizing the previously unbeaten Mexican challenger with precision, speed and sustained pressure over 12 rounds. The judges scored the contest 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 in favor of the 32-year-old champion."
"Despite conceding height and reach to Picasso, Inoue quickly asserted himself with sharp counterpunching and crisp combinations, particularly to the body. He wobbled the Mexican midway through the fight and repeatedly pierced his guard, forcing Picasso into a largely defensive shell as the rounds wore on. By the championship rounds, Inoue appeared to be boxing on instinct alone, managing the contest with his jab and well-timed bursts of power."
Naoya Inoue outclassed Alan Picasso by unanimous decision in Riyadh to retain the undisputed super-bantamweight titles, with judges scoring 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111. The victory marked Inoue's sixth successful defense at 122 lb and improved his record to 32-0 with 27 knockouts. Inoue controlled the fight from the opening bell using precision, speed, sharp counterpunching and body combinations, repeatedly wobbled Picasso and forced him into a defensive shell. Picasso showed durability and landed sporadically but could not match timing or hand speed. The win sets up a potential blockbuster clash with Junto Nakatani, who also won on the same card.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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