The man Floyd Mayweather once left in tears falls to stunning loss in WBC title fight

Even though it was just his eighth professional bout, Nasukawa had already been part of a major event, having faced Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition back in 2018.

That unusual fight took place in Japan and was one of the early examples of high-profile crossovers. It helped pave the way for many similar events that followed.

Although billed as nothing more than an exhibition, ‘Money’ Mayweather made short work of Tenshin, flooring him inside a single round while openly toying with and mocking him as the action unfolded.

The Japanese star was left visibly emotional at the final bell, reduced to tears after his loss.

Despite being far more recognised for his kickboxing pedigree, Nasukawa entered the ring as the overwhelming betting favourite against Inoue, such had been his recent dominance in his chosen discipline.

Yet from the early going, it was Inoue who settled quickest, finding success in the exchanges and appearing the more composed and confident of the two.

Working alongside his brother throughout camp, his measured, calculated style began to pay off. Inoue repeatedly landed sharp, heavy counters as Tenshin struggled to build any meaningful offence.

After 12 largely cagey rounds, with Inoue edging the majority of them, the judges delivered a unanimous decision in his favour. He was crowned the new WBC bantamweight world champion, handing Nasukawa the first professional defeat of his career.

Inoue nearly walked away from boxing before the fight

Even though he has now joined his brother as a world champion, Inoue nearly stepped away from the sport before facing Tenshin.

After losing his world title to Seiya Tsutsumi in his previous bout, the 29-year-old had serious doubts about whether he could climb back to the top and considered retiring altogether.