WBO flyweight champ Kosei Tanaka to make first title defense in March
Kosei Tanaka announced Thursday he will make the first defense of his WBO flyweight title on March 16 in Gifu against compatriot and former light flyweight title holder Ryoichi Taguchi. At ...
Nasukawa, Rizin reflect after Mayweather bout
Was it a one-night spectacle? Or was it a freak show? The exhibition match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and young Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa ended up in a lopsided win by ...
Floyd Mayweather dominates Tenshin Nasukawa in exhibition
Legendary former world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. tamed Japanese kickboxing phenom Tenshin Nasukawa via technical knockout on Monday. The special boxing exhibition, a dramatic conclusion to the Rizin 14 mixed martial ...
Kazuto Ioka's bid for fourth world title ends in split-decision defeat
Japan's Kazuto Ioka suffered his first loss in over four years on Monday when Donnie Nietes won a split decision to capture the vacant WBO super flyweight championship. The 29-year-old Ioka, aiming for his fourth world title, had trouble coping the powerful inside punching by ...
Masayuki Ito defeats Evgeny Chuprakov by TKO in first title defense
Most of the fans at the arena seemed to notice the fight was over before the referee. Referee Laurence Cole was concentrating on a corner, where champion Masayuki Ito was raining punches after punches against Evgeny Chuprakov. A few seconds later, the ref noticed a towel ...
Floyd Mayweather says fight against Tenshin Nasukawa is nothing to worry about
People have been a little skeptical that he would really fight against Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year's Eve. But here he is. He's at least arrived in Japan. Two days before the Rizin 14 event at Saitama Super Arena, former five-division world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather ...
Yudai Shigeoka has long dreamed of becoming a world boxing champion, but a decision that could see the sport excluded from the 2020 Olympics might deal his hopes a knockout blow. The International Olympic Committee said last month it was suspending preparations for boxing at ...
Confident kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa preparing for unique showdown with Floyd Mayweather
No matter how one of the all-time best boxers views his New Year's Eve showdown with Tenshin Nasukawa, the kickboxing phenom is planning to shock the world by putting on a competitive fight. With two weeks to go until his special three-round exhibition boxing match ...
The Japan Boxing Commission announced Monday that Kenichi Ogawa is eligible to fight once again after serving a one-year suspension for failing a doping test. Ogawa lost his IBF super featherweight belt and was banned for six months last winter after a doping test conducted ...
George Foreman became business giant after boxing career
Third in a three-part series In his book "Only in America: The Life and Crimes of Don King," the late author Jack Newfield noted that Sonny Liston had made a big impression on George Foreman. This influenced Foreman's demeanor as a fighter, including his facial expressions, ...
Takeshi Inoue to face Jaime Munguia for WBO super welterweight belt
Takeshi Inoue will challenge Mexico's Jaime Munguia for the WBO world super welterweight belt on Jan. 26, his gym said Wednesday. Inoue, ranked No. 3, will be making his first world title challenge in just his second fight outside Japan. With a record of 13-0-1 including ...
Former WBA middleweight champ Ryota Murata plans to continue fighting
Ryota Murata, who lost his WBA middleweight title in October, announced Tuesday that he will continue his career. After losing by unanimous decision to American Rob Brant in his second title defense, the 32-year-old Murata said he would consider whether to keep boxing or retire. "I ...
