In an exhibition match held on New Year’s, Floyd Mayweather decisively defeated Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round of their welterweight bout. Mayweather, a former five-division world champion, knocked Nasukawa down three times in the opening round, leading to Nasukawa’s corner throwing in the towel.
Nasukawa was floored twice by left hooks before a final right hand knocked him down for the third time. Following his victory, Mayweather clarified that the match was purely for entertainment and reiterated his retirement from professional boxing.
Mayweather stated, “I’m still retired. I don’t plan on returning to boxing. I did this exhibition to entertain fans in Japan. I’m still unbeaten at 50-0, and Nasukawa remains undefeated and a talented fighter.”
With his comments, Mayweather put to rest any speculation about a potential rematch with either Manny Pacquiao or Adrien Broner, winners of an upcoming fight. Despite his age, Mayweather showed his skill, having last defeated Conor McGregor in 2017.
As the exhibition match had no official judges and does not count towards Mayweather’s pro record, it still earned him $9 million, according to his social media posts. Many were surprised by Mayweather’s decision to face a much younger kickboxer at the Saitama Super Arena, organized by Rizin, a major MMA promoter in Japan.
