Kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa has warned Floyd Mayweather that he plans to use his speed to be victorious on New Year’s Eve.
The 20-year-old has spent time training in Las Vegas for the three-round exhibition, which the Japanese fighter sees as a great opportunity to showcase his talent to the world.
Full contact rules mean Tenshin will be able to put it on Mayweather from the start. A lack of kicks could be where Mayweather gains his advantage, though.
Despite not being able to use his full armory, Tenshin is looking forward to the task.
“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.
“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 want 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.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
A 12-time boxing world champion in five weight classes, Mayweather is the greatest ever to 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 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.
TENSHIN NASUKAWA
Tenshin Nasukawa was born in 1998 and trained in Karate and kickboxing from an early age by his trainer/father.
He 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.
