Floyd Mayweather hails making $9 million for nine minutes of sparring

FLOYD MAYWEATHER knocked down Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa three times en route to a first-round stoppage in their boxing exhibition at the Saitama Super Arena.

Mayweather, 41, a former five-weight world champion who retired from boxing with a perfect professional record of 50-0 last year, saw off an opponent 21 years his junior.

In a bout that was scheduled for three rounds just outside Tokyo, Nasukawa lasted only two minutes and 20 seconds before his corner threw in the towel.


Mayweather said in the build-up he expected to pocket nine million US dollars (ยฃ7.06m) from the fight, which headlined an event organised by Rizin Fighting Federation, a Japanese mixed martial arts organisation.

Mayweather had a 4kg (9lb) weight advantage over Nasukawa, who boasted an unbeaten record in 28 kickboxing bouts and four contests in MMA, with this fight having no bearing on either manโ€™s official record.

Nasukawa, though, reportedly faced a multi-million dollar fine if he attempted to kick out at Mayweather.

A grinning Mayweather started supremely confidently and dropped Nasukawa for the first time with a left hook with barely a minute gone.


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It is very difficult to send a message from the heart to somebody. Tomorrow, I want to be able to send a message to the people watching, by putting everything on the line and fighting with my spirit. This is my way of giving back to everybody. Iโ€™m going to do this. So many people worked extremely hard to make this happen. I have to make sure they didnโ€™t work this hard for nothing. Please watch how I live this life, my way of sending messages. Itโ€™s on. ไบบใซๅฟƒใ‚’ไผใˆใ‚‹ใฎใฏ้›ฃใ—ใ„ใ“ใจใงใ™ใ€‚ ๆ˜Žๆ—ฅใ€ไบบใซไฝ•ใ‹ใ‚’ไผใˆใ‚‰ใ‚Œใ‚‹ๆง˜ใช่ฉฆๅˆใ‚’ใ—ใŸใ„ใงใ™ ไบบ็”Ÿใ‚’่ณญใ‘ใฆๅ…จใฆใ‚’ใƒชใƒณใ‚ฐใงๅ‡บใ—ๅˆ‡ใ‚‹ใ“ใจใŒ็š†ใ•ใ‚“ใธใฎๆฉ่ฟ”ใ—ใงใ™ใ€‚ ๅƒ•ใฏใ‚„ใ‚Šใพใ™ใ€‚ ๆฒขๅฑฑใฎไบบ้”ใŒใ“ใฎ่ฉฆๅˆใ‚’ๆˆ็ซ‹ใ•ใ›ใ‚‹็‚บใซไบบๅŠ›ใ‚’ๅฐฝใใ—ใฆใใ‚Œใพใ—ใŸใ€‚ ไฟบใฏใใ‚Œใซๅฟœใˆใ‚‹ใ€‚ ็”Ÿใๆง˜ใ‚’่ฆณใฆไธ‹ใ•ใ„ใ€‚ ใ‚„ใ‚‹ใžใ€‚ #Cygames #rizin14 #BOXING #teppengym #target #RISE #ใƒใƒผใƒ ใงๅ‹ใค

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A body shot followed by an uppercut saw Nasukawa slump to the canvas again moments later, with the southpaw bravely getting to his feet, albeit on unsteady legs.

A one-two from Mayweather precipitated the end of the contest, and the American said in quotes published by BBC Sport: โ€œIt was all about entertainment โ€“ we had a lot of fun. They wanted this to happen in Japan, so I said โ€˜why not?’โ€

โ€œIโ€™m still undefeated. Tenshin is still undefeated. Tenshin is a true champion and a hell of a fighter.

โ€œI want the fans around the world to support Tenshin, heโ€™s a great guy and a great champion.โ€

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