Last night, Floyd Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis delivered a thunderous, first-round knockout win over short-notice replacement opponent Hugo Ruiz, retaining his WBA super-featherweight belt in the process.
According to Mayweather, Davis’ next challenge will pit him against Japanese kickboxing ace Tenshin Nasukawa in April.
“We’re talking about May [for Davis’ next fight], if that’s okay with him,” Mayweather stated (via Boxing Scene). “He got an exhibition bout with the guy Tenshin in Japan, in April. He is fighting Tenshin in an exhibition match in Japan, in RIZIN. I’m proud of Tank. He is going to stay active. So first it’s Tenshin in April and then in May it’s the real fight.”
Floyd Mayweather, to remind, recently fought Tenshin Nasukawa himself, also in an exhibition bout in the RIZIN ring. Mayweather won the fight with a lopsided first-round knockout.
The bout was contested at 147 pounds, far north of the weight Nasukawa typically fights at. It was also the Japanese fighter’s first foray into boxing competition. Because it was an exhibition bout, the Japanese kickboxer is still technically undefeated.
At present, RIZIN has not confirmed this claim from Floyd Mayweather, however, Tenshin Nasukawa is expected to compete at the RIZIN 15 card in April.
Tenshin Nasukawa is also currently slated to compete in the kickboxing ring on March 10, where he will battle Federico Roma in the first round of the anticipated RISE 58kg tournament.
Do you think Tenshin Nasukawa and Gervonta Davis will actually fight, or is Floyd Mayweather bluffing?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/9/2019.