Stoppage Before the First Bell

Stoppage Before the First Bell

By Matthew Dean

Recent reports of Floyd Mayweather back in the ring have been played down by the American since his return to the states. He posted the news online to refute claims he was fighting Tenshin Nasukawa on December 31st.

Writing on Instagram :

“First and foremost, I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa.”

He admitted being present at a news conference with the Kickboxer and he knew about an offer for an exhibition bout but this was as far as it went.

“Once I arrived to the press conference, my team and I were completely derailed by the new direction this event was going and we should have put a stop to it immediately. I want to sincerely apologize to my fans for the very misleading information that was announced during this press conference and I can assure you that I too was completely blindsided by the arrangements that were being made without my consent nor approval.”

Reports of the fight were announced earlier this week.

Tenshin Nasukawa, 20, is an undefeated star of the Rizing Fighting Federation, a Japanese promotion. He fights in the Flyweight/ Bantamweight divisions using Kickboxing and Full contact Karate. He has so far amassed a 27-0 Kickboxing record & 4-0 MMA record. His titles include

RISE Bantamweight (−55kg) Champion
BLADE Japan Cup − 55kg Tournament 2015 Champion
ISKA Oriental Rules Bantamweight (−55kg) World Champion
Rizin Kick Tournament 2017 -57kg Champion
RISE Featherweight World Champion

The impact of no fight is minimal.

For the Boxing fans, no-one ultimately cared as it has no bearing on the legacy of Mayweather.

For Nasukawa fans it brought their hero some attention and perhaps may shine a light on a
growing Rizing Fighting Federation movement