Floyd Mayweather surprised many in the combat sports world when he announced that he will be competing at a Rizin event on New Year’s Eve, only to quickly take it back once he left the country.
The retired boxer once again changed his tune on Thursday night, saying that the bout could still push through. Mayweather said he got paid “seven figures” just to attend that press conference in Japan, and that the match against Tenshin Nasukawa would be “the highest paid exhibition ever”.
Rizin boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara has since echoed his sentiments, announcing that the “misunderstanding” with Floyd Mayweather has been resolved, and he will indeed be facing the kickboxing prodigy on New Year’s Eve.
According to Mayweather, the bout will be a three round exhibition boxing match, and no kicks will be allowed.
“It’s gonna be a little boxing exhibition,” Mayweather said. “No kicking. No kicking at all. I’m moving around with the guy for nine minutes”
Tenshin is an undefeated kickboxing phenom that has blossomed into one of the biggest combat sports stars in Japan. The much smaller fighter will certainly be the underdog against Mayweather, but if it pushes through, this three-round exhibition will certainly raise the 20-year-old’s profile even more.