While boxers coming out of retirement for the bazillionth time is certainly nothing new in combat sports, the news of Floyd Mayweather suddenly showing up in Japan for Rizin Fighting Federation with a fight against a relatively unknown 20 year old kickboxer was, for me, a head-scratcher, to say the least.
I’ve been hearing Floyd Mayweather shooting his mouth off for years about how much money he has and how he only takes big money fights. So why this? Why now? Why take a fight with Tenshin Nasukawa if Floyd is supposedly only a prize fighter who takes big money fights? Well, because they evidently offered him $88 million for the fight, that’s why. Not to mention he only has to go three three-minute rounds, under boxing rules, with an opponent who is not even in his stratosphere. Seems like a no-brainer, right?
All of this hullabaloo comes on the heels of some other big fight rumors swirling around out of the Mayweather camp in recent weeks. After Khabib Nurmagomedov spectacularly choked out Conor McGregor at UFC 229 last month and then proceeded to jump the cage and then jump McGregor’s cornerman, Khabib immediately sucked the fame right out of McGregor and became MMA’s biggest star, approaching god-like status in his native Russia. Perhaps wanting to strike while the iron was hot, rumors of a potential Mayweather - Khabib fight started to take over the internet.
Recently, another rumor has hit the streets and that is of a potential rematch of the fabled “Fight of the Century” against Manny Pacquiao. According to the Pacquiao camp, Mayweather, who I called the smartest man in boxing, is interested in making the rematch happen, but wants to wait until the New Year to do so.
That’s precisely what MMA veteran Chael Sonnen seems to think. Sonnen publicly warned Floyd recently in an online video that in this fight, if he doesn’t completely decimate Nasukawa, he’s not going to walk out the victor by decision. This, he speculates, could tarnish Mayweather’s career forever if he ends up losing the fight and having to lend a 50 -1 record to the history books, even if the Japanese have officially labeled this an “exhibition”.
Fight pundits from around the world are saying that this fight is now a lock after Mayweather pulled out just a few weeks ago. As a result, if you’re planning on putting your money where your mouth is on this on-again-off-again fiasco, go through some of the sportsbook reviews listed on Sports Betting Dime first. For this upcoming match in particular, it's important to choose a trust-worthy site because if the fight ends up not happening, at least you'll be able to get your money back.
Is it fair to call Mayweather “old”? After all, he’s 41, turning 42 in February. By many people’s standards that’s officially “over the hill” and quite certainly middle-aged. But you’ve got to hand it to the guy, whether you hate to love him or love to hate him - he’s still got it. He’s still got the big-money, big-fight appeal and is still, perhaps, the biggest draw in combat sports after all these years. Mayweather debuted professionally after winning an Olympic Bronze Medal in 1996 while Nasukawa was still in diapers. Nevertheless, guys like Khabib and Pacquiao will have to take a number for now, and when their time comes, hope that the cash cow has not been milked for the last time yet.
- Daniel Austin
daniel.austin@spiintl.com
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