Boxing legend and five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather is currently in talks with RIZIN about a return to Japan following the collapse of his fight with a YouTuber.
RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara confirmed a meeting had taken place that included UFC boss Dana White.
In true White style, he tweeted: “HOOOOOOOLY SHIIIIIIIT!!!!!! WTF is going on here?”
It’s thought Mayweather is considering a fight against an MMA star of past or present to face in his first RIZIN event since 2018.
Back then, Mayweather defeated kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in one painful round and had a 2019 return in mind. That plan was impossible due to Covid-19 beginning to spread at the time of the New Year’s Eve showcase.
Mayweather then delayed until 2020 but was still unable to compete in front of a crowd. ‘Money’ could now arrange an alternative event for New Year’s Eve of 2021.
メイウェザーと打ち合わせをしていたところ「今からサカキバラに会わせたいヤツがいるから、電話で呼ぶよ」と言われ、ダナが現れてびっくりしました！
彼とは約15年ぶりの再会です。
この業界に戻って会いたかった男の一人です。
偶然から何か生まれることがあるかもしれませんね！ pic.twitter.com/j6JK5Eif2R— NOBUYUKI SAKAKIBARA (@nobu_sakakibara) April 7, 2021
FLOYD MAYWEATHER & THE YOUTUBER
Initially set to fight a YouTuber in February, that bout could now fall apart for several reasons.
The main reason being ticket sales flopped when Mayweather was due to fight a talentless YouTuber who cannot fight his way out of a paper bag.
Despite a fifty-pound weight advantage, nobody in boxing cared enough to see the fight happen against Mayweather.
Hopefully, Mayweather will now move on and put that blueprint in his past. The quicker these YouTubers leave boxing, the better the sport will be.
It’s bad enough that legendary names keep coming back when their time has passed. At least Mayweather is keeping it one hundred and calling it what it is, an exhibition.
Ex-Mayweather opponent Oscar De La Hoya is returning soon but is acting like it’s the second coming of his career, and he can once again be a contender.
Sergio Martinez too. He’s now rated by the WBA and considered in the title shot picture, despite being medically unfit to fight at the end of his professional career.
There’s a time and place for the older generation to fight. Charging fans massive Pay Per View fees for substandard contests is not one of them.
Mayweather will likely be part of a RIZIN event that will be a mere sideshow to the whole card. It will net him a nice eight-figure paycheck for his trouble, though.
If it’s there, take if Floyd.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
