Floyd Mayweather is BACK! The former pound for pound boxing king will return on December 31 in Japan.
Teasing a possible comeback for some months, Mayweather finally confirmed the details on Sunday evening.
Mayweather will face 20 year-old Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve in a contest yet to be revealed.
Expected to be some sort of cross codes contest with some MMA rules altered, Mayweather said he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I can wrestle, I can wrestle a little bit. I can box a lot a bit,” Mayweather told Reuters. “We will just see. I can do it all. I can do anything if I set my mind to it.
“I’m pretty sure that when I speak with the guys from my team we are going to get on the same page so we can go out there and do what we have to do.”
Explaining his decision to compete for RIZIN in Tokyo, Mayweather added: “Everything is about timing, everything takes time and everything is about timing.
“Its also all about entertainment. I love to entertain, I like for people to be entertained and who doesn’t want to be entertained. It is good to come over to another part of the world, have fun and enjoy each other.”
On his opponent, the American veteran said: “He is very fast, very young and I am pretty sure he wants to go out and entertain his people.
“I am pretty sure the crowd is going to be on his side but I am there for a great cause. It is a special bout.
“Just for me to be in the ring with a young guy that is hungry. It is going to be good, very, very good and I can’t wait.”
TENSHIN
Nasukawa has become one of the most popular fighters in Japan and holds a record of 27-0. He’s perhaps the best combat sports prospect the country has ever seen.
Between both MMA and kickboxing fights, Tenshin has fought over thirty times despite turning 20 just over two months ago.
The current RISE Featherweight Champion, Tenshin began to make a name for himself with wins over the likes of Amnat Ruenroeng and Wanchalong PK Saenchai in the KNOCK OUT promotion out of Thailand.
Since those wins, Nasukawa has become a massive star under the RIZIN banner. Racking up four dominant mixed martial arts wins, defeating multiple men to be crowned the 2017 RIZIN KICK Tournament Champion.
And most recently outpointing fellow superstar Kyoji Horiguchi in the biggest fight the Saitama Super Arena has ever seen. Tenshin has a rematch with Taiki Naito at RISE 129 later this month.
RIZIN 14 is scheduled for December 31, 2018, live from the famed Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
