Will We Really See Floyd Mayweather Fighting in Japan Next Year?

• Floyd Mayweather retired as a professional boxing in 2017 with a 50-0 record.
• He returned in 2018 with a brief exhibition boxing match in Japan.
• New reports about Floyd Mayweather fighting in Japan again have begun to surface.

Floyd Mayweather is a master at staying in the spotlight. Despite having retired from boxing back in 2017, he continues to stay in the headlines. Recently, reports of Floyd Mayweather fighting in Japan next year have begun to surface.

Mayweather still appears to be in fantastic shape. He’s not likely to compete for any major titles, but he could be matched up in a few exhibition bouts. Today, we’ll talk about some of the possible opponents that “Money” Mayweather could face next year.

Let’s get into it!

Exhibition Boxing Matches Are Growing More Popular

The sport of boxing requires an incredible amount of skill and sacrifice. Generally speaking, fighters are only able to compete at an elite level for a few years. It’s a dangerous game for boxers to stick around for longer than they should.

Oftentimes, boxers announce retirement after a string of tough losses. It’s not uncommon to see these boxers return years later in what are called “exhibition matches.” These are meant to be less competitive bouts, and instead are a showcase of boxing skill between two fighters.

Exhibition fights have always taken place. Until recently, however, these never gained much interest from fans. Now, there are several exhibition bouts scheduled to take place that could earn more Pay-Per-View buys than upcoming championship bouts.

Most are interested in the exhibition match between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Based on what’s being said, this won’t be an exhibition, at all. Fans expect both fighters here to be looking for the knockout as soon as the first bell rings.

It now appears we could be seeing Floyd Mayweather compete in another one of these kinds of fights in the near future. Floyd is always looking for a quick cash grab. It seems he may have found a way to do that in Tokyo, Japan.

Here’s what we know about this situation!

Floyd Mayweather Fighting in Japan Remains a Possibility

There’s never been a boxer quite like Floyd Mayweather. His skill inside the ring was undeniable and he’s widely-regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all-time. It’s his moves outside the ring that have made him such a polarizing figure, though.

Mayweather began his career as “Pretty Boy” Floyd. It wasn’t a gimmick that managed to attract the public. Eventually, he became “Money” Mayweather and began flaunting his money to whoever he could. These antics drew attention and many began tuning in to Floyd’s fights simply to see him lose.

Those fans were left disappointed every time. In 2017, Mayweather announced his retirement from professional boxing with a record of 50-0. That didn’t mean he would never lace up the gloves again, though. In 2018, Floyd competed in an exhibition match in Japan against Tenshin Nasukawa.

According to new reports, we may once again see Floyd Mayweather fighting in Japan. This week, Floyd announced he would be making a return to the Tokyo Dome sometime in 2021.

“Tokyo, Japan. I am coming back in 2021. I know the Olympics is in Japan in 2021 but me, myself, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and my team will be doing some big in Tokyo Dome,” Floyd said. “Trust line, I wanna say thank you for treating me good and treating my team good. Japan, I am on my way.”

If Floyd can earn a few million dollars to compete in an exhibition match, you can guarantee he’ll do it. Reports claim he earned upwards of $9 million in his most previous exhibition in Japan. It’s not clear how much he would be receiving for another bout in the country.

It’s also unclear who Mayweather will be challenging.

Possible Opponents for Floyd Mayweather’s Next Fight

The sport of boxing is now filled with elite-level talent. The welterweight division, in particular, is now home to some of the sport’s best fighters. Floyd ruled this division for a time, yet no one expects him to take on one of the young champions anytime soon.

Instead, it seems likely that Mayweather would agree to fight against someone with limited experience in the boxing ring. In 2018, he competed against Tenshin Nasukawa, a kickboxer. We could see Floyd Mayweather fighting in Japan against a similar kind of opponent next year.

There’s also a chance that a major MMA star agrees to step into the squared circle with Floyd. BetOnline, one of the best online sportsbooks in the US, lists Floyd as the -1000 favorite against MMA superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s listed as the +500 underdog.

Some believe Floyd is more interested in a “legend fight” against another boxer past his fighting prime. There is no shortage of men that would be willing to compete in such a matchup. As of now, nothing has been confirmed.

In reality, this could all be one big marketing strategy for “Money” Mayweather. Until a contract has been signed, everything is speculatory. Stay tuned for more updates over the next couple of weeks!

Do you think we’ll see Floyd fighting in Japan again? Who would you like to see him take on? Let us know in the comments section below!