Asakura says “I’m not sure what hit me,” after loosing to Mayweather in an Exhibition match
Floyd Mayweather Jr. easily defeated his adversary in the second round of an exhibition match in Japan on Sunday, saying he had a good time and promising to return next year.
Mikuru Asakura, 30, a popular Japanese MMA, or mixed martial artist, fighter, made his boxing debut and landed a few jabs. However, Asakura collapsed to the ground in the second round as Mayweather became more combative. Asakura went down again and struggled to get up when Mayweather managed to land a right hook in his face near the end of that round.
Floyd Mayweather wasted no time with a second round KO of Mikuru Asakura 💥
🎥 @rizin_English pic.twitter.com/Gl45hGUnKI
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 25, 2022
Only an hour before the battle, Mayweather showed up at Saitama Super Arena, located north of Tokyo. Prior to his ringwalk, he was seen on TV kicking back in a dressing room full of fast food.
“It was another blockbuster attendance… boxing is like breathing for me,” Mayweather said, adding that he hopes to fight more “YouTubers and MMA guys” in the future. Pacquiao, the Filipino great, is not on his radar.
“I retired for a reason,” Mayweather explained. “I’m here to have fun and enjoy myself… but I’m not going to endure any punishment that makes me unable to walk or talk. People will always pay to see Floyd Mayweather,” he said before questioning, “so why would I go out there and… fight a top fighter when I can get the same amount of cash for three rounds with whoever?”
“I’m not sure what hit,” Asakura admitted after the fight. “I’m suffering from a severe headache.”
Ringside seats at Sunday’s event cost as much as 1 million yen ($7,000) per person, attracting celebrities such as tennis star Naomi Osaka and Filipino retired professional boxer Manny Pacquiao. The match was also livestreamed via various pay-per-view packages. Mayweather knocked out kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round the last time he did an exhibition match in Japan, in 2019. But that hasn’t stopped Nasukawa, who sang and danced in the half-time show of Sunday’s event.
“I’m glad he threw a few shots because it got the crowd going. That’s all there is to it,” according to Mayweather. “I’m very proud of him. I’m glad he came here. He assisted me in entertaining people. He carried out his responsibilities… We both had a good time,” he concluded.
Mayweather is reportedly close to committing to a rematch with UFC fighter Conor McGregor in 2023. In his final fight before retiring, Mayweather defeated McGregor.
