Rizin14Floyd Mayweather has defeated Tenshin Nasakuwa during the first round of a fight which lasted a mere two minutes and 19 seconds.
The exhibition took place at a packed Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, and marked 41-year-old Mayweather’s first bout since his Las Vegas victory against Conor McGregor in August 2017.
Mayweather knocked the 21-year-old kick boxing champion down three times in the unusually short bout, forcing Nasukawa’s corner to throw in the towel. Mayweather could be seen laughing and dancing while he defeated Nasakuwa in his usual confident manner, while the younger man was left in tears.
Mayweather was awarded $9 million for the win (approximately $64,700 per second!) and later described his opponent as being ‘a great fighter and a great champion’. The American fighter even handed the trophy over to Nasakuwa in a gesture of respect.
Floyd Mayweather def. Tenshin Nasakuwa in the first round. Mayweather knocked him down 3 times in 2 minutes and then Nasukawa’s corner threw in the towel. Mayweather toyed with him throughout. Was never in danger and danced when the fight was over.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 31, 2018
Finally mayweather and this guy he’s fighting in this exhibition are finally in the ring about to fight this shit started 6 hours ago pic.twitter.com/4LVcaw7NLN
— Reggie Brackett (@TheUndisputedRB) December 31, 2018
Another $9m for Floyd https://t.co/p5vu6aog6Q
— Sean Fay (@Sean_Fay) December 31, 2018
The New Year’s Eve exhibition match was intended to be three rounds over the course of nine minutes. However, up and coming Nasakuwa proved to be no match for the 50-0 legend, with 41 seconds left of the opening round when his corner opted to spare their fighter any unnecessary punishment.
As reported by The Independent, Mayweather made the following comments after the bout:
I want to say thank you it was about entertainment we had fun.
I want to thank god for this turnout for this event, for my team Tokyo Japan, you guys are amazing.
We are the past present and future of sports entertainment. Tokyo Japan, you guys have been amazing.
Mayweather, who had rocked up to the fight late, continued:
I want to say thank you to Tenshin, it;’s about entertainment Ten is still undefeated I’m undefeated, I did this just to entertain the fans. I said ‘why not?’ I’m, still retired, still 50-0, Tenshin is a true champion and a hell of a fighter.
Tenshin, hold your head up high, I want the fans around the world to support Tenshin, he’s a great guy and a great champion.
Rizin is number one.
Nasukawa, who was described by the announcer as being to Japan ‘what Conor McGregor is to Ireland’, is an undefeated champion, with an impressive record of 32-00-00 (24 KOs).
His defeat during this exhibition match will not affect his perfect record, and neither will it be added to Mayweather’s boxing record.
It was believed by some that Mayweather would struggle when pitted against Nasukawa’s youth and famous speed, however Mayweather has proven he still has what it takes – albeit Floyd’s weight advantage will certainly have assisted.
You can watch the very, very brief fight for yourself below:
As reported by The Japan Times, Mayweather has previously declared he would be able to compete ‘in my sleep’.
Following his victory, Mayweather continued to insist on his continued retirement from the sporting world, claiming he won’t be making a return to actual competitions.
Even for a person who refers to themselves by the nickname Money, this is still an extremely profitable New Year’s pay day…
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