Veteran advisor Sean Gibbons is daring to dream ahead of Saturday’s DAZN card in Saudi Arabia, where he believes his Mexican fighters could derail plans involving two of boxing’s pound-for-pound standouts. Gibbons is backing David Picasso to challenge undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, while also guiding IBF junior bantamweight titleholder Willibaldo Garcia into a risky defense that could lead to a future showdown with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
Picasso enters as a massive underdog against Inoue who is heavily favored and coming off high-profile wins over Ramon Cardenas and Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Ranked No. 2 at 122 pounds by the WBC, the 25-year-old Picasso prepared for the moment with a July victory over Kyonosuke Kameda and is embracing the lack of pressure that comes with being widely dismissed.
Gibbons argues that Picasso’s conditioning, height, reach, and Mexican boxing roots give him a chance, even while acknowledging the gulf in power between the two fighters. He described the potential upset as historic in scale, stressing that Picasso’s success would require patience and durability over the course of the fight.
Earlier on the card, Gibbons’ other charge, Willibaldo Garcia will defend his IBF junior bantamweight title against Japan’s former flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji who is making his debut at 115 pounds. Gibbons characterized Garcia as unpredictable and difficult to prepare for, contrasting his raw style with Teraji’s technical polish.
Gibbons recounted discovering Garcia in 2021 after a narrow loss to Paul Butler and guiding him through a career turnaround that included moving up in weight, winning an IBF eliminator, and capturing the title in a rematch. Now 36 and fighting on his birthday week, Garcia has the chance, according to Gibbons, to transform his career and set up an undisputed clash with Bam Rodriguez.
Beyond those bouts, Gibbons also suggested that Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez could upset Junto Nakatani in his junior featherweight debut, potentially disrupting a projected Inoue-Nakatani super fight.
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