Boxing has hit a boom period in Japan over the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down.

Another big show featuring Japanese pound-for-pounders is scheduled for Dec. 27 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where junior featherweight king Naoya Inoue will defend his titles against Alan Picasso, and Junto Nakatani, stepping up to 122 pounds for the first time, will take on unbeaten Sebastian Hernandez.

Nakatani, who had held The Ring, IBF and WBC titles at bantamweight, gave up on trying to become undisputed at 118 and began to focus on even bigger opportunities.

"Junto moved up in weight because he's the guy that wants to fight," Rudy Hernandez, Nakatani's trainer, told The Ring. "No disappointments not unifying. Trying to get unification bouts isn't easy. It takes up too much time."

Furthermore, Hernandez believes that Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) and Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) appearing on the same card helps with the marination of their potential superfight.

"Them fighting on the same card will add more [intrigue] to them fighting each other," he said. "I like that they'll fight on the same card and will add more to the fire as fans will see both.

"I believe that they'll get more people wanting to watch them fight, because they'll perform and bring more fans to the sport."

Neither guy is in easy, according to Hernandez, but that's the way he believes it should be.

"They have very tough fights," Hernandez said. "I think it's a great fight, and I will be cheering for Inoue to win [against Picasso.] There's levels to this game, and these two fighters, Inoue and Nakatani, have shown their skills over and over again. Regardless of being dropped, questions have been answered. You fall and get up.

"I believe [Nakatani vs. Hernandez] to be a very hard fight from a fighter who's looking to be in his shoes. Names matter. You beat Inoue or a Junto, you've made a name for yourself, and we're not taking the fight lightly."

If Inoue and Nakatani both safely navigate their next assignments, they'll remain on a collision course to face each other.

"If they both win in December, we can all look forward to them fighting each other in May, I believe, at the Tokyo Dome," Hernandez said. "A fight that will be very interesting to all who know and watch boxing.

"The most important fight in the history of Japanese boxing. Also, the first time two Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters from Japan have fought. If they fight, Japan will be watching."