The rules for the much discussed New Years Eve exhibition bout between undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and undefeated kickboxing wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa have now been released.
This bout will be boxing only, though it will be full-contact competition — which implies a knockout is possible. Kicks will not be allowed, which effectively rules out Nasukawa’s best shot at a victory.
At a Thursday press conference inside his boxing gym in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather was asked by reporter Amber Dixon why he isn’t allowing Tenshin Nasukawa to kick in this bout.
The boxer did not appreciate the question.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. was not pleased when I asked him why not allow kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa to kickbox in their New Year’s Eve fight? @News3LV pic.twitter.com/InbOg5Ww79
— Amber Dixon (@AmberNews3LV) December 7, 2018
“Sweetheart, please, please, please,” Floyd Mayweather said. “Am I boxer or a kickboxer? Are we in a boxing gym or a kickboxing gym?”
The reporter who asked the question then referenced the fact that Mayweather has recently teased a move to mixed martial arts — a sport that allows kicks — on his Instagram page.
“Didn’t I see you get into a UFC cage on Instagram?” she asked.
“You see a lot of bullshit on Instagram,” Mayweather snapped back.
“I’m going to say this once again. Everything is always on my terms. I’m the A-side, always. I’m not going to fight in the MMA ring. If I do in a MMA ring, it’s boxing only.”
Here are the official rules for the upcoming Floyd Mayweather vs. Tenshin Nasukawa exhibition boxing match.
- Three minutes per round for three rounds
- Straight boxing rules
- Both will wear 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
In his last fight, a 2017 defeat of Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather weighed in at 154 pounds. Tenshin Nasukawa weighed in at 127.9 for his last fight, a September kickboxing match with Kyoji Horiguchi, but has fought even lighter in the past. Needless to say, he will likely be the much lighter man in the ring on New Years Eve, and will also be at a three-inch heigh disadvantage.
What do you think will happen when Tenshin Nasukawa and Floyd Mayweather step into the ring together on New Years Eve?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 12/7/2018.