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Floyd Mayweather v Tenshin Nasukawa ‘fake’? Rigged or not, farcical fight spits in face of fans

  • Fans question humiliating TKO victory over Japanese kick-boxer
  • ‘Money’ continues to hurt the sport’s reputation with another easy pay day

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Floyd Mayweather smiles after knocking down Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round at Rizin 14. Photo: Rizin Fighting Federation/Handout via Reuters

In less than two and a half minutes – 139 seconds, to be precise – it was all over between Floyd Mayweather and Tenshin Nasukawa.

The American boxer, 41, floored the Japanese kick-boxer three times before the 20-year-old’s corner threw in the towel at the Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve.

With each knockdown, Nasukawa stumbled around the ring comically like something out of a WWE show, bouncing off the ropes like a rag doll.

“This guy was selling like he’s the love child of Shawn Michaels and Dolph Ziggler,” wrote one observer on Twitter, referencing two professional wrestlers who are known for flopping about the ring with exaggerated flair.

Nasukawa cried as the fight was called off in the first round, with Mayweather – who weighed in four kilograms heavier for the fight – performing an impromptu dance in the middle of the ring.

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