The Province

Mayweather foe seeks real fight, not entertainm­ent

- YURI KAGEYAMA

MATSUDO, Japan — To Floyd Mayweather, his threeround match on New Year’s Eve in Japan is for entertainm­ent only.

To opponent Tenshin Nasukawa, the “exhibition” is as serious as a kick to the head.

Which is what he wishes he could do to Mayweather.

But the rules of their match prohibit the unheralded kickboxer from kicking. So he’s taken a crash course in boxing. Among his advisers was three-weight world champion Jorge Linares.

“I can change the world with my fist,” Nasukawa said in his quiet voice on Tuesday after a demonstrat­ion workout at his family’s Teppen Gym in the Tokyo suburb of Matsudo.

Except, he really can’t change the world. There will be no judges and no official result.

When 20-year-old Nasukawa’s people were last month touting a real bout, the 41-year-old Mayweather walked away. He hasn’t fought since beating Conor McGregor more than a year ago for his 50th win in 50 fights. He returned to this matchup only after getting the rules clarified to make his first bout in Japan more about “entertainm­ent.”

The Rizin Fighting Federation organizers are even willing to placate Mayweather by undertakin­g the weigh-in in his hotel room.

Despite everything, VIP seats are going for 100,000 yen ($1,000) each at Saitama Super Arena, on the northern outskirts of Tokyo.

There’s little Nasukawa has in common with Mayweather, apart from both being unbeaten. Nasukawa is undefeated as a kick-boxer at 27-0 and undefeated in mixed martial arts at 4-0.

He said he never was much of a Mayweather fan, usually cheering for his opponents, such as Manny Pacquiao. And when he met him in person, Nasukawa said he was a little disappoint­ed that Mayweather wasn’t as charismati­c as he thought he was.

“I sensed no aura about him,” he said.

“He says such provocativ­e stuff I feel like kicking him.”

Nasukawa said he can’t allow the taller and heavier Mayweather to land a single punch.

“He is the best so I can’t let my guard down. I’m sure his punches are fast but I’m sure I can see them.

“I feel excited, although some days I still feel afraid,” Nasukawa added. “But when the day comes, I want to fight with confidence.”

 ?? — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Japanese kick-boxer Tenshin Nasukawa is set to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a three-round exhibition boxing bout in Japan on New Year’s Eve.
— THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Japanese kick-boxer Tenshin Nasukawa is set to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a three-round exhibition boxing bout in Japan on New Year’s Eve.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada