Inoue's Trainer Revealed the Desired Game Plan for the Picasso Fight

The father and trainer of the undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, Shingo Inoue, shared how he would like his athlete to box against his next opponent from Mexico, David Picasso.

“It all comes down to concentration. When Naoya is fully focused, he can make split-second decisions on the spot. You can't let your guard down for even a second. I feel this in him now more than ever. He is capable of maintaining that focus.

From a tactical standpoint, I want Naoya to stay at a distance. If he stops moving and just aggressively charges in... Picasso is a persistent fighter, and I don't want to enter his territory where he just starts trading blows. Therefore, I will insist that Naoya keeps his distance.

Hit and move, landing shots, evading his punches. Repeating this, forcing him to gradually exhaust himself and dealing damage. I envision us gradually forcing Picasso to give up, step by step, while maintaining a solid foundation.

But if Naoya starts looking for a knockout from the very beginning, he tends to tense up and can't fight naturally as he usually does. So he needs to stay calm, working shot by shot. That's how we'll make him quit,” Inoue said.

The clash between Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) and Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs) will take place on December 27 in Riyadh. We previously shared where and when to watch the duel at this link.