Floyd Mayweather is 45 years old. He can do this at 75 years old.
The undefeated Hall of Famer knocked out Mikuru Asakura in the second round of a scheduled three-round exhibit on the Rizin 38 card in Saitama, Japan.
The 30-year-old Japanese mixed martial artist played the game and landed some punches.
However, no MMA fighter has the boxing skills to compete against one of the sweetest science’s best practitioners, not even one in his 40s.
floyd mayweather beat asakura in the last second of round 2 #superRIZIN pic.twitter.com/WZIB6NdwFa
– (@jakeshredz420) September 25, 2022
And that’s by design. Mayweather has said that he doesn’t want to trade punches with anyone who could potentially injure him. Asakura can’t.
The first round didn’t go very well, as both fighters frequently reached out with their leading hands to find range and only delivered powerful shots here and there, mainly to the body. .
However, they ramped up in Round 2. Mayweather, still agile, still dexterous, began to land his right arm on Asakura’s head and add more body blows.
Asakura had a hard time hitting the great defensive boxer but he managed to land a few hits that sent Mayweather slamming his head back, which was an unusual sight. His problem is that he is having the worst of the exchanges.
Finally, after some precise hits to the head, Mayweather lands another punch that knocks Asakura over and injures him.
He got up to his knees where referee Kenny Bayless gave him a good look and decided he was not in a position to continue.
Can this version of Mayweather beat a top heavyweight contender? Probably not at this point. However, he will continue to dominate the fighters he has met in exhibitions, YouTubers, MMA fighters and inactive boxers.
Indeed, Asakura, an MMA star, has no chance.
Mayweather raked in another big day’s pay and appeared to be enjoying himself, after which he graciously expressed his gratitude to the Japanese crowd.
“I’m glad we were able to give everyone some excitement tonight,” he said. “Thanks for helping me. I’ll be back.”
The question is against whom?
Perhaps it is no coincidence that Mayweather’s rival Manny Pacquiao was invited by the show’s organizers to the ring to talk before and after the main event.
Maybe they’re holding a Mayweather-Pacquiao show? Maybe Pacquiao, 43, provided a clue.
“Hopefully,” he said, “this isn’t the last time you see me.”
Yes, we will almost certainly be seeing more of the legendary boxers.
