TOKYO (AFP) – Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr said Monday he will come out of retirement to fight a Japanese kickboxer half his age, Tenshin Nasukawa, on New Year’s Eve in Saitama.
The 41-year-old unbeaten American, who captured world titles in five different weight divisions and was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport, out-boxed Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in his last fight in August 2017.
That victory improved his boxing record to a perfect 50-0 but the format or rules for his meeting with the baby-faced Nasukawa were not specified by the Japanese mixed martial arts promoters RIZIN.
Mayweather posted a teaser photo on his Instagram feed at the weekend, showing him wearing kickboxing gloves.
“I want to give the people what they want – blood, sweat and tears,’’ Mayweather told a news conference in Tokyo after reportedly flying into Japan on his private jet.
“I want to continue to build my relationship with Money Team Tokyo,’’ he added, promoting the cross-code bout as an expansion of his businesses into Japan.
