Tenshin Nasukawa, the kickboxer who Floyd Mayweather wiped the floor with courtesy of a first-round demolition, is in line for a WBC title shot.
Nasukawa notched a victory in boxing last January and will return to action in the coming weeks. The Japanese star, who boasts a 44-0 record in his previously chosen sport, is proving to be a handful in pugilism, as Luis Torres and Luis Pacheco recently found out.
Torres hit the canvas in the first and final round of eight as Tenshin dominated the proceedings at Ariake Arena in Koto-Ku. Tenshin then followed that up by retiring Pachecho in three.
Since being dropped three times and humiliated by Floyd Mayweather in 2018, Tenshin hasn’t looked back. He went on a KO spree in martial arts before embarking on a boxing run with Top Rank.
Now 3-0, plans will be in motion to move Tenshin quickly towards a title shot with his name forever linked with Mayweather. The fight, which took place at RIZIN 14, was a public relations success for Tenshin despite the fact he was out of his depth. Mayweather took him to school, but Tenshin has reaped the rewards of a higher profile.
When Tenshin moved permanently to boxing despite his extraordinary kickboxing record, eyebrows were raised. But he hasn’t put a foot wrong from the moment he crossed over.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is astute enough to know that Tenshin will have plenty of eyeballs on him if he can land a shot at the bantamweight title.
The man possessing the WBC title is, of course, Japanese start Junto Nakatani. Now aligned with Arum, there’s a big possibility Tenshin could face Nakatani for the title. Arum has represented both, so it’s undoubtedly on the agenda as a possible future event.
Tenshin is rated number eleven by the World Boxing Council, four places inside the voluntary title-challenging limit. So far, Tenshin has arguably not lost a single round since his pro boxing debut and would be a high-profile opponent for Nakatani.
There’s even talk of a potential future battle with Naoya Inoue. First off, though, Tenshin would have to prove himself by claiming a championship.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
