Boxing
MAYWEATHER FLAUNTS $9M EARNING FROM TOKYO EXHIBITION
Floyd Mayweather’s love for money is hardly a secret and he has now shown off his latest earnings on social media.
The American shared videos of his huge bundles of Japanese Yen after earning $9 million dollars for his win over kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition match in Tokyo.
Mayweather followed up his $100m pay-day against Conor McGregor in August 2017 with another money-spinning victory in just over two minutes against Nasukawa on Monday.
Naturally, there was to be no kicking allowed and after three knockdowns around 120 seconds from the first bell, the 20-year-old saw the contest ended. He was in tears and Mayweather was left grinning at his latest money-spinning exhibition.
Never one to hide his wealth and success, Mayweather filmed himself walking around one of his many Rolls Royce vehicles before stopping at the drivers’ side where there was bundles of cash.
The 41-year-old was not in prime shape but he still proved far too strong for Nasukawa, 21 years his junior, in the nine-minute scrap at the Saitama Super Arena just outside Tokyo.
He wore a big smile for much of the first minute as the two fighters felt each other out amid a raucous atmosphere inside the 37,000-seater arena.
But there was little friendliness in his work thereafter as, left and right hooks sent the younger, smaller and lighter man down and across the canvas.
Mayweather, a former five-weight world champion, Nasukawa, 20, is a kickboxer by trade but against Mayweather on the outskirts of Tokyo he was banned from using his feet over the three rounds of exhibition action.
And when it came down to a battle of fists, there was little by way of a contest. First a left hand sent Nasukawa to the floor before a right hand to the body was followed by one to the head and the Japanese fighter was left in a heap in the corner.
When the action resumed, a left hook sent him flying across the ring once more before the towel came in.
The Japanese fighter had previously won all 32 of his combat sports contests, and Mayweather stressed: ‘We are both still undefeated, I did this to entertain the fans in Japan, they wanted this to happen and I said why not, Tenshin is still a great champion, I am still retired.
‘Tenshin hold your head up high, I want the fans to support him, he’s a great guy, a great fighter and great champion.’
Manny Pacquiao said he has signed a contract for a fight with Floyd Mayweather and that he would not get back into the ring with the American if it was an exhibition bout.
Mayweather, 49, and Pacquiao, 47 announced last month that they would meet at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix.
However, Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today last week that it would be an exhibition bout, not a real fight, and that a venue had yet to be decided.
“If that’s what he is feeling but he signed for a real match. The contract that we signed is for a real fight,” Pacquiao told local media on Thursday. “He has to remember that.”
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in a 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century”.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and a producer for the event, said the agreement was for a fight.
“No one in these last three months has brought up anything related to the venue or related to the fight not being a professional fight,” Mathur told ESPN.
“His team has had all the contracts. He signed all the contracts.”
Reuters has requested comment from Mayweather’s camp.
The 2015 bout between the boxers generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
-Reuters
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The Nigerian boxing landscape has been thrown into uncertainty following reports that the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) is considering steps to regulate professional boxing—an area traditionally overseen by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC).
Reacting swiftly, the NBBofC has dismissed the reports as misleading, warning that any such move could destabilise the established structure of the sport in the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Board reaffirmed its statutory authority as the sole body responsible for the regulation, control, and sanctioning of professional boxing in Nigeria.
“The attention of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has been drawn to insinuations that another body intends to assume regulatory authority over professional boxing in Nigeria. We wish to categorically state that such claims are unfounded and should be disregarded,” the statement read.
The Board stressed that the NBF’s mandate is confined strictly to amateur boxing, in line with global sports governance frameworks, and does not extend to the professional ranks.
NBBofC President, Rafiu Ladipo, warned that any attempt by another organisation to assume control of professional boxing could trigger administrative conflicts, weaken regulatory standards, and expose athletes to unnecessary risks.
The Board also cautioned promoters, managers, and boxers against engaging with unauthorised bodies claiming regulatory powers.
“We advise all promoters, managers, and boxers to remain vigilant and not be misled by such insinuations. The NBBofC remains fully committed to its responsibility of regulating and sanctioning professional boxing in Nigeria in accordance with established rules and international best practices,” the statement added.
Observers within the boxing community note that clarity in regulatory authority is critical—not only for safeguarding athletes but also for ensuring fair competition and maintaining Nigeria’s credibility within the global boxing ecosystem.
For now, the NBBofC has reiterated its resolve to continue overseeing professional boxing in the country, even as stakeholders await further clarification on the reported position of the NBF.
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Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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