The rules were announced for the upcoming exhibition bout between former boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather and Tenshin Nasukawa.
The two square off at Rizin 14 on New Year’s Eve in Saitama, Japan.
– Three minutes per round for three rounds
– Straight boxing rules
– Both will wear either RIZIN 8 ounce gloves
– Weight: 147lbs/67.7kg
– No judges
– This will be full contact competition, but the bout is not going on boxing or MMA records
A 12-time boxing world champion in five weight classes, Mayweather is one of the greatest to ever enter the ring, buoyed by box office success that saw him shatter nearly all of the revenue records in the sport’s history. Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., and fighting out of Las Vegas, he is the only fighter to have headlined four events that each generated more than 2 million pay-per-view buys. Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated have all named Mayweather the world’s highest paid athlete multiple times throughout a career in which he defeated 24 world champions.
“This is a great way for me to go out there and give people some entertainment. It’s an exhibition match, but it’s giving me a chance to do something different,” Mayweather said. “I love competing against fighters from all walks of life like in my amateur days. It’s all about entertainment. Nine minutes of entertainment. It’s going to be amazing. “I’m in the entertainment business. That’s what I go out there to do. I love to do this. I’m working out to put on a show for three rounds.
“I’m going to go out there, have fun and do what I do. I’m enjoying life and I’m going to enjoy this experience.”
Nasukawa was born in 1998 and trained in Karate and kickboxing from an early age by his trainer/father. Tenshin made his professional debut in 2014 at the age of 15 and has since claimed multiple world championships in kickboxing while remaining unbeaten. Tenshin is now the face for the Rizin Fighting Federation and their biggest headliner to date. Now aged just 20, Tenshin is a Japanese sensation whose main sponsor is a gaming giant called Cygames.
“This is my first time coming to Las Vegas and I’m very excited to be here. The fight is very close and I’m training hard every day to face Mayweather and leave a mark,” Nasukawa said. “This is a great opportunity and we’re happy to take it. I’m going to put everything out there and show my strengths. I think that I’m the faster fighter. I’m going to use my weapons against him. There’s never been a Japanese fighter to face Floyd Mayweather in the ring. As an athlete, this is something that’s a great honor and a challenging task. I’d like to make a big impression.
“I want to get the whole fight community, the whole country of Japan and the entire world involved in this fight. I’m going to go in there believing in myself and ready to prove myself.”