Undefeated boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather and sensational RIZIN Fighting Federation star Tenshin Nasukawa will battle in a special exhibition fight on New Year’s Eve from Saitama Prefecture Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
See below for quotes gathered from the media workout and press availability at Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas:
Floyd Mayweather:
“This is a great way for me to go out there and give people some entertainment. It’s an exhibition match, but it’s giving me a chance to do something different.
“I love competing against fighters from all walks of life like in my amateur days. It’s all about entertainment. Nine minutes of entertainment. It’s going to be amazing.
“I’m in the entertainment business. That’s what I go out there to do. I love to do this. I’m working out to put on a show for three rounds.
“I’m going to go out there, have fun and do what I do. I’m enjoying life and I’m going to enjoy this experience.”
Tenshin Nasukawa:
“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’d like 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.”
The attraction will be based on the following rules and regulations:
– Three minutes per round for three rounds
– Straight boxing rules
– Both will wear either RIZIN 8 ounce gloves
– Weight: 147lbs/67.7kg
– No judges
– This will be full contact competition, but the bout is not going on boxing or MMA records
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
A 12-time boxing world champion in five weight classes, Mayweather is one of the greatest to ever 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 each 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 NASUKAMA
Tenshin Nasukawa was born in 1998 and trained in Karate and kickboxing from an early age by his trainer/father. Tenshin 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.
NOBUYUKI SAKAKIBARA – RIZIN CEO
Nobuyuki Sakakibara is a Japanese businessman most well-known for his role as boss of Pride Fighting Championship. Sakakibara sold Pride to Lorenzo Fertita of Zuffa LLC in 2007 in a widely publicized deal. In 2015 he founded Rizin, a new organisations that mixed different fight styles in a single event. Rizin is now the most watched fighting event in Japan.
RIZIN COMPANY
Rizin Fighting Federation has held 15 mega events since the promotion’s debut in December of 2015. Rizin is now recognized as the most watched combat sports event in Japan since Pride Fighting Championship. RIZIN has been a staple on primetime Japanese national television with a five-hour New Year’s Eve slot and watched in over 5.5 million households.
ONE ENTERTAINMENT
ONE Entertainment is a pioneer in the world of Entertainment Consulting, with over 20 years of experience in servicing celebrity clients and brands worldwide. ONE focuses on monetizing celebrity and entertainment brands by creating a customized approach for each client that maximizes exposure and profitability. ONE has concluded deals on six continents in over 22 countries and growing every day. The team at ONE has experience in all facets of entertainment, and they can serve your needs in film, TV, music, sports, live events, digital and entertainment business development.
