Tag Archives: Rizin

By: Hans Themistode

Manny Pacquiao, shocked the world this past weekend when he signed up with MMA promotional company, RIZIN. He is expected to make an appearance on the April 21st, super show. For those of you that are expecting to see Pac-man mix it up in the octagon can think again.

Pacquiao will play the roll of a Filipino Ambassador. On the card that night will be Tenshin Nasukawa who is most known for his failed attempt to defeat retired all-time great boxer Floyd Mayweather earlier this year. That contest gained public notoriety but the match itself was an utter mismatch as Mayweather dismantled Nasukawa.

Pacquiao publicly criticized Mayweather for his exploits. Although Pacquiao seemingly has no intentions of following his longtime rivals blueprint. RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara has plans of his own to make it a reality. Not only does he have visions of having Pacquiao compete in the same fashion that Floyd once did but he already has an opponent in mind as well.

“If anybody were to fight Manny in an exhibition, it would have to Takanori Gomi.”

For those unfamiliar with Gomi he is a long time veteran in the world of mixed martial arts. His professional record stands at 36 wins across 15 defeats. If these two were to matchup he would hold the advantage in terms of experience but when we take a deep look at his record it appears he is on the downside of his career. He has lost six of his past seven contests, also more importantly he is 40 years of age.

Does anyone truly want to the future hall of famer step inside the ring against Gomi? The answer to that question should be no. Could there be potentially a big pay day for him if he did indeed go through with what many believe would be a farce level match up? Absolutely.

By: William Holmes

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has taken the surprising move to go to Japan to face Japanese Kickboxing Prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa in a special three round exhibition bout. Unfortunately for American fight fans, this event was not available in the United States.

Mayweather was late to arriving at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and the co-main event and main event of the Rizin card was delayed until his arrival.

The walk ins for Mayweather and Tenshin finally happened around 9:00AM EST in the United States and both boxers waited in the ring as both the Japanese and American National Anthems were sung.

The size difference was readily apparent between the two as Mayweather was the taller, bigger, and longer boxer.

Tenshin Nasukawa has an impressive combat sports record of 32-0. Mayweather’s boxing record stands at 50-0.

This bout did not count on their official records.

The opening round starts off with Nasukawa circling towards the left jab of Mayweather, who had a gigantic smile on his face and was slowly walking Nasukawa down. Nasukawa lands a straight left on Mayweather after Mayweather misses a straight right. Mayweather landed a good body shot and a left hook and Nasukawa goes to the mat. He gets up by the count of five.

Mayweather is just too big, quick, and strong for Nasukawa.

Mayweather lands another left hook that sends Nasukawa off balance. Mayweather lands a right uppercut on Nasukawa who goes to the mat again. Nasukawa gets up and looks hurt and wobbly. Nasukawa is firing bombs at Mayweather but gets knocked down for the third time in this fight. Nasukawa’s corner throws in the towel before he can take any more damage.

Floyd Mayweather made short work of Nasukawa in this exhibition bout.

By: Hans Themistode

For the 5,000th time Floyd Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) will once again come out of retirement to step back in to the world of combat. This time however will be a bit different as Floyd will be taking on kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa in a three round exhibition matchup on New Years Eve in Japan.

Are we supposed to believe this is a true fight like Floyd’s 49 victories? Or is it more along the lines of his 50th?

You remember the 50th fight of Floyd’s career don’t you?

It was against none other than UFC star fighter Conor McGregor. The matchup was built up to be a real fight and the toughest of his career. Fans all around the world soaked it in. After all Floyd was at the time 40 years of age and two years removed from his last professional fight. Conor on the other hand was not only much younger but he was also the significantly bigger man as well.

With that being said, those that knew boxing understood that Connor had no chance of winning that bout.

Floyd proceeded to do what many knew he would do. Punish Connor. Sure there were a few tough moments for Floyd but he still managed to bully and ultimately stop Connor in the 10th round. There was no doubt as to who would win that matchup.

Does his contest against Tenshin Nasukawa fall into the category of more farce than fight? Not quite.

So am I saying that this will be more along the lines of Floyd’s first 49 fights of his career? His resume is one of the very best ever. He has defeated a who’s who of all-time great boxers such as Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto to name a few. Should you place this bout amongst those?

No. This contest won’t be in the same stratosphere as those contest were.

So where does that leave us?

It seems as though we are right in the middle.

To many this is viewed as a money grab and rightfully so. It is after all a three round exhibition match that win, lose or draw won’t count on either mans record.

Now I really know what you’re thinking. This is absolutely a money grab right? Listen, with Floyd everything boils down to money. However, his opponent Tenshin Nasukawa is a real fighter. By the age of 18 he had already accumulated a kickboxing record of 99-5. His kickboxing record is 26-0. He has also managed to win many titles along the way. The word phenom is thrown around loosely but that would best describe Tenshin Nasukawa.

The details of exactly how much Floyd is expected to pocket from this contest remains a mystery. The money man has stated on numerous occasions over the years that it would take a nine figure payday to get him to fight again so we can assume that he will possibly receive about the same for this bout.

So once again is this a money grab? Yes and no?

For Floyd “Money” Mayweather it absolutely is. He lives a lavish lifestyle. Owns numerous expensive properties and some of the most exotic cars you can think of. With that being said, that kind of lifestyle is a hard one to keep up with. If Floyd viewed this as something more than just a cash grab then he wouldn’t care if this fight showed up on his record. It is perceived as an easy win, right?

The one thing Floyd cares about more than money is that shiny 0 in his loss column. To risk that against a complete unknown is something he will never place a price tag on. Knowing that record won’t be affected regardless of the outcome is a win-win situation for Floyd.

Who cares what happens.

Tenshin Nasukawa cares.

This is the biggest contest of his career and he will be looking to put on an absolute show. A win for him (albeit not counting record wise) will change his life forever. Floyd will still walk around with a spotless record but the taste of defeat will still be there.

For one man this is just an easy way to make nine figures once again. For the other it is his chance to make history.

By: Sean Crose

The older one gets, the less one’s body performs as it once did. That’s true for anyone, including all time great athletes. Still, it appears Vegas odds are in favor of Floyd Mayweather, (who is now in his forties, and who hasn’t fought since he punched out UFC star Conor McGregor well over a year ago) getting the best of young Japanese MMA wunderkind Tanshin Nasukawa when the two men meet in Japan on December 31st. Not that it may matter. This being an exhibition fight, and a three round exhibition fight at that, there will reportedly be no winner declared should the fight go the distance.

Still, Nasukawa, who is 28-0 in kickboxing thinks he will rise to the occasion in what will essentially be his boxing debut. “He says such provocative stuff I feel like kicking him (Mayweather),” the twenty year old has said. Such a move might delight MMA fans, but it’s highly unlikely to happen. A legitimate athlete in his own sport, Nasukawa is man who, like McGregor, is intent on mastering a new sport. He’s even worked with Jorge Linares in the lead-up to December 31st, an indication of Nasukawa’s seriousness walking in, an experience he says will prove quite helpful.

“He taught me how to find a way to land a punch against (Mayweather),” Nasukawa claimed (via The Japan Times). “He’s got an outstanding defense, and told me some certain punches against him.” Mayweather, it should be noted, will be walking in with several inches on his younger foe. Nasukawa will also be fighting at a far higher weight than the 126 pounds he’s used to. Yet the fighter is clearly eager to shock to the world. “I’m planning,” he says, “to show moves that will surprise him…I’m going to capitalize on the kickboxing techniques that I’ve learned.”

Mayweather, of course, has the comfort of being the A-side. A worldwide celebrity known to carefully orchestrate matches in such a way that he has every possible advantage.The 50-0 Mayweather has notably chosen a smaller man from another sport to engage in. What’s more, Mayweather now appears to view himself as an entertainer rather than an active boxer. Nasukawa feels his opponent is “not taking the bout seriously.” While this may or may not be true, it’s always worth noting Mayweather probably wouldn’t be fighting Nasukawa at all at his age, if certain things weren’t clearly in his favor. Not that it bothers Nasukawa.

“I can change the world,” he says, “with my fist.”

By: Kirk Jackson

It appears the highly publicized bout between Floyd Mayweather and Tenshin Nasukawa will not manifest after all.
Mayweather shocked the world earlier this week, revealing he signed with Japanese mixed martial arts promotions company RIZIN Fighting Federation, to fight 20-year-old Japanese kick boxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve in Japan.

But the fight, Mayweather now claims, is void. He has called it off. In an Instagram statement now deleted, after he had left Japan and flown back to the US, Mayweather claimed he had been duped and that the fight was meant to be an exhibition for “a small group of wealthy spectators.”

Obviously there’s much to dissect and digest as there is a bit of confusion as to the original terms and conditions of the proposed bout, and what resulted in cancellation.

Fortunately for us terms of the contract leaked out.

The original rules of combat were never released to the public – being as it seemed they weren’t agreed to upon completion of the contract, or at the very least there was a lack of transparency from one side of the negotiating table. This lack of transparency was hinted on Mayweather’s Instagram page.

“Ultimately, I was asked to participate in a 9 minute exhibition of 3 rounds with an opponent selected by the ‘Rizen Fighting Federation,” Mayweather’s Instagram stated.

“What I was originally informed of by Brent Johnson of ‘One Entertainment’ was that this was to be an exhibition put on for a small group of wealthy spectators for a very large fee. This exhibition was previously arranged as a ‘Special Bout’ purely for entertainment purposes with no intentions of being represented as an official fight card nor televised worldwide.”

According to Mayweather, the press conference he and Nasukawa held earlier in the week to discuss the fight caught him and his team off-guard because of the details discussed. Mayweather claims they did not speak up at the press conference because they didn’t want to create a disturbance.

For his part Mayweather has since apologized to his fans again via Instagram.

“I can assure you that I too was completely blindsided by the arrangements that were being made without my consent nor approval. For the sake of the several fans and attendees that flew in from all parts of the world to attend this past press conference, I was hesitant to create a huge disturbance by combating what was being said and for that I am truly sorry.”

Now that the dust settled, even though this is an opportunity lost, it’s also an opportunity gained. In spite of the criticism from fellow boxing promoters, jealous mixed martial arts fighters, writers and even some boxers, this is a win for Mayweather and illustrates his command in the combat world.

Again for a moment in time, he illustrates the ability to command attention and command the big bucks in case there were those doubting.

He is doing the things that Conor McGregor and Canelo Alvarez want to do. He sets trends and breaks ground, but because of who he is, he doesn’t warrant the positive attention that comes with it.

Any publicity negative or positive is still publicity and keeps your name in the news cycle. People in the United States and worldwide now know of Nasukawa and RIZIN.

Mayweather has the attention he seeks.

Not to count another person’s pockets, as it’s uncertain if Mayweather needs the money, but this is more so a testament to the attention and potential amount of money that can be earned. The cherry on top is if he can make this amount of money with the minimal amount of risk.

Which is something Mayweather has been accused from by his critics regardless in spite of the weight classes climbed, the challenges he overcame, the twenty-plus world champions and multiple Hall of Famers he defeated.

But let this be a lesson learned to fully read through the terms and conditions of a contract before signing off and agreeing.

As mentioned earlier, all eyes again re on Mayweather, so what’s next?

By: Sean Crose

“First and foremost,” Floyd Mayweather claimed in a Wednesday Instagram post, “I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa.” For those not in the know, it was announced just days ago, and to great fanfare, that Mayweather would be facing undefeated kickboxing and MMA prodigy Nasukawa in a match under unspecified rules in Japan (Nasukawa’s home country) on December 31st, traditionally a big day for combat sports in Japan. Mayweather said he was making the announcement now that he was “ back on U.S. soil after a long and disappointing trip to Tokyo.”

Photo Credit: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Twitter Account

“I now have the time,” he stated in the post “to address you, my fans and the media in regards to the upcoming event on December 31st that was recently announced.” Mayweather went on to claim “with all due respect,” that he had “never heard of him (Nasukawa) until this recent trip to Japan.” According to Mayweather, he had been “asked to participate in a 9 minute exhibition of 3 rounds with an opponent selected by the ‘Rizen Fighting Federation’.”

The bout, Mayweather went on to say, “was to be an exhibition put on for a small group of wealthy spectators for a very large fee.” Mayweather explained that “this exhibition was previously arranged as a ‘Special Bout’ purely for entertainment purposes with no intentions of being represented as an official fight card nor televised worldwide.”

“Once I arrived to the press conference,” he wrote, “my team and I were completely derailed by the new direction this event was going.” Mayweather added that “we should have put a stop to it immediately.” The Vegas based star also added that he wanted to “sincerely apologize to my fans for the very misleading information that was announced during this press conference.” The 50-0 boxer claimed that the abrupt nature of the proceedings had a lot to do with the subsequent miscommunication.

“I can assure you,” he stated, “that I too was completely blindsided by the arrangements that were being made without my consent nor approval.” Furthermore, Mayweather argued that “for the sake of the several fans and attendees that flew in from all parts of the world to attend this past press conference, I was hesitant to create a huge disturbance by combating what was being said and for that I am truly sorry.”

The man largely regarded as the greatest boxer of his generation concluded by stating he is “a retired boxer that earns an unprecedented amount of money, globally, for appearances, speaking engagements and occasional small exhibitions.” Boxing Insider will keep readers updated if and when further details arise.

By: Oliver McManus

Floyd Mayweather is set to return to the ring on December 31st, in Tokyo, against an MMA superstar… no, it’s not Khabib Nurmagomedov but rather Tenshin Nasukawa – the 20 year old Japanese kickboxer.

The question on many fight fans lips is “just who is Tenshin Nasukawa?” and it’s a very valid point because few outside of Japan will have heard of the diminutive figure – standing 5ft5in – but let’s try and establish some facts about him.

photo Credit: Nobuyuki Sakakibara Twitter Account

A two weight champion within RISE, Nasukawa has held belts at flyweight and featherweight with that particular organisation and was the 2017 RIZIN kickboxing featherweight champion so he has pedigree.

Enrolled by his father into a karate class aged five, Nasukawa soon turned his attention to kickboxing – where he honed a natural aggression and power. Having dedicated himself to the sport, the youngster accrued 111 amateur contests with a mere five losses before turning professional.

That power I talked about is evidenced by his 22 knockouts as a professional with a particularly pleasing flying knee against Yamato Fujita – funnily enough on New Years Eve last year – but he’s well-rounded enough to be able to finish opponents via punches and submissions.

Of course we don’t know the rule set or the weight category being stipulated for December 31st but if, as many believe, it will be a cross-over of both MMA and boxing then you’d expect this to play into the favour of Nasukawa who, despite his age, is one of the most experienced and mature fighters around.

He is no stranger to mixing it with professional boxers, nor with coming out on top, owing to a contest he had in February last year with, former IBF champion, Amnat Ruenroeng. As part of KNOCK OUT Vol. 1, Nasukawa emerged victorious with a sumptuous left hook to the body in the fourth round.

Fighting is in his blood and his sister – Riri – is already making waves in the professional ranks despite being just 16 years of age. She made her debut in June, a winning start, and will next compete on November 11th, having racked up 33 fights as an amateur with a 90% win rate.

A surprise to many in the MMA / boxing community who, largely, were expecting either MayPac 2 or Mayweather-Nurmagomedov to take place, Tenshin admitted he was caught a little off guard by the offer – “It was a surprise offer but I accepted without hesitation, It’s the biggest moment in my life and I want to be the man who changes history. I’ll do that with these fists, with one punch – just watch.”

And watch we will, whether you think it’s a freak show or a miss-match you won’t be able to not watch. December 31st, Tokyo, you can feel the Tenshin Rizin.

By: Michael Kane

It seems Floyd Mayweather is out of retirement once more.

Mayweather (50-0) appeared in Japan last night with Japanese MMA promotion Rizin Fighting Federation. In the press conference it was announced Mayweather would face Tenshin Nasukawa, a 27-0 kickboxer and 4-0 MMA fighter.

Photo Credit: Nobuyuki Sakakibara Twitter Account

As yet it’s not known what format the fight will take place, all that was said was it would be under ‘special rules’.

Mayweather last competed last year against MMA superstar Conor McGregor, stopping McGregor in the 10th round under boxing rules. Lately Mayweather has suggested he would face UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov however Dana White, the UFC president said this would not happen under boxing rules.

The Mayweather v McGregor PPV was one of the biggest PPV events in history.

View this post on Instagram

December 31st 2018 #Tokyo

A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Nov 4, 2018 at 6:26pm PST

Rizin promoter Nobuyuki Sakakibara gave an explanation on the deal, “I think my shortest answer to that is the fact that now we are aligned to achieve something together and that is hitting a new challenge, taking a step forward to whatever wonderful thing that we can create together,” Sakakibara said via a Japanese translator.

Mayweather is looking forward to spending more time in Japan and also the prospect of promoting his fighters there.

“Rizin has done a remarkable job with the fighters,” Mayweather said. “I look forward to giving you guys entertainment come December 31, but my relationship with Rizin, it doesn’t stop just here. I look forward to taking this worldwide.”

Nasukawa, is looking forward to facing the undefeated boxer.

“I would probably say that this is my biggest event in life, so far,” Nasukawa said, via a Japanese translator. “And I’m very happy that this is going to materialize.”

“Nobody has defeated my opponent in the past,” he continued, referring to Mayweather’s 50-0 pro boxing record. “And I would like to be the man who makes history. My punch can change the history and I will show that to you, so please stay tuned.”

The event will take place on Rizin’s New Years Eve show a big date in Japanese combat shows, since the days of Pride and K-1.

The full press conference can be watched here: