Floyd Mayweather Contemplating Ring Return…in Japan
Well it sounds like former boxing cash cow Floyd “Money” Mayweather (50-0, 27 KO’s) could be returning to the ring. And this time, Money, 43, should be coming back to face a boxer. Although, that boxer would be Takashi “KO Dynamite” Uchiyama (24-2-1, 20 KO’s), also retired, and they would be competing in another boxing exhibition in Uchiyama’s native Japan.
The former five-division champion was last in a sanctioned professional prizefight on August 26, 2017 when he took on MMA superstar “Notorious” Connor McGregor (0-1, 0 KO’s). Prior to the McGregor bout, Money easily dismantled celebrated kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a 2018 exhibition staged in Japan.
Now, as reported by the Daily, there are ongoing talks that RIZIN Fighting Federation, the same company that staged the Mayweather v Nasukawa fight, is attempting to put together Mayweather v Uchiyama.
THE CALL OF DUTY
If the exhibition is finalized, it will be an improvement from the stand point that Mayweather would at least be taking on a legitimate boxer this time. Yet, he would still enjoy a healthy advantage in the form of size. To his credit, Uchiyama is a former WBA world super featherweight champion.
After claiming the strap, KO Dynamite, 40, defended his title eleven consecutive times over a span of five years before suffering back to back losses to Jezzrel “El Invisible” Corrales (23-4, 0 KO’s). Following the second loss, on December 31, 2016, Uchiyama retired just over one year before Mayweather. Both men would return with roughly the same amount of ring rust. Yet, Money would still likely enjoy a substantial weight advantage.
THE WAITING GAME
The fight organizers are confident that they will be able to lure Mayweather back to Japan for a second time. Having been paid £7 million for his walk in the park against Nasukawa, RIZIN believes that they can tie up this event.
Thus far however, the biggest hindrance to putting the fight together has been travel restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Without being about to travel as they normally would, the negotiation process has slowed to a snail’s pace. So for the time being, we all will simply have to wait and see how the backroom haggling plays out.
It will be interesting to see if this new event comes to fruition though. Stay tuned to 3kingsboxing for all the latest boxing news and updates.
By: Bakari Simpson
