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SPORTS Saturday 8 december 2018
Wilder sees missed opportunity in first viewing of Fury draw

By BRIAN MAHONEY one of those early rounds.
AP Sports Writer Mayweather was even
NEW YORK (AP) — Deontay harsher to the champion,
Wilder fired his right hand giving him none of the first
out from his body, demon- five rounds when he was in-
strating the way he should terviewed in the arena be-
have punched Tyson Fury. tween rounds. Wilder said
He was frustrated with the he had no relationship with
referee. Disappointed in Mayweather but implied
Floyd Mayweather Jr. An- the retired former cham-
gry with Showtime's scorer. pion was insecure any time
Mostly, Wilder was mad at there was too much atten-
himself. tion on another American
Five days later, the WBC fighter.
heavyweight champion Wilder agreed it was a
was still bothered by the close, tough fight to score,
way he fought in his draw but only because he al-
with Fury on Saturday night lowed it to be. Headlin-
in Los Angeles. ing a pay-per-view for the
"Fury was everything I ex- first time on perhaps the
pected him to be. It's not biggest night in years for
what Fury did, it's what I American heavyweight
didn't do," Wilder said Thurs- boxing, Wilder wanted to
day. "You seen the best of In this Dec. 1, 2018, file photo, Tyson Fury, right, of England, connects with Deontay Wilder during deliver something spectac-
Fury, you didn't see the best a WBC heavyweight championship boxing match in Los Angeles. Wilder is still frustrated by the ular and the moment got
of me. way he fought in his draw with Fury. to him.
"I wanted to end the show tion that sent him flat on his of the fight, had allowed other having it 113-113. "I abandoned the whole
with a devastating knock- back in the 12th round, but him to clinch the victory. That was much closer than game plan," Wilder said.
out and I got too excited." believed Fury (27-0-1) ben- He said he didn't regret Showtime scorer Steve Far- "That was a mistake on
Wilder (40-0-1) watched efited from a break from not trying harder to finish hood, who gave only one my behalf. Like I said, I just
the full fight for the first referee Jack Reiss. Fury afterward, because of the first eight rounds to wanted to get in there and
time during a lunch that "Look at him! Niiiiine," Wilder he thought the win was se- Wilder on his card that fans just knock him out. I mean
was used to provide foot- said, imitating what he felt cured. watching the fight could I wanted to end the show
age for an all-access look was a dramatically long "If it was close, that knock- see after each round. in a devastating way. That
at the fight that will run count from Reiss to allow down, I feel like it put me "Someone has got to ex- was the whole thing going
Saturday after Showtime Fury to get up and finish the on top," Wilder said. plain to me why this is sup- through my mind. I couldn't
airs the replay. He was still fight. Only one of the judges posedly a Tyson Fury round," clear it out of my mind for
amazed that Fury got up Still, Wilder believed the agreed, with one scoring promoter Lou DiBella said some reason. I couldn't.q
from a powerful combina- knockdown, his second the bout for Fury and an- after watching the end of

Mayweather says he will hold

exhibition with Japanese star

By TIM DAHLBERG which will be boxing only an official bout with Tenshin
AP Boxing Writer and take place at Saitama Nasukawa," Mayweather
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Floyd Super Arena in suburban said, going on to describe
Mayweather says he and Tokyo on Dec. 31. himself as a retired boxer
Japanese kickboxing star It was the second an- who earned money mak-
Tenshin Nasukawa will nouncement for the event, ing appearances and put-
meet after all — but only in which was promoted as ting on exhibitions for what
a nine-minute New Year's an actual fight when an- he said were large sums of
Eve exhibition. nounced last month, money.
Mayweather said the though the rules were un- Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the
match in Tokyo would be clear. Mayweather ap- head of Rizin Fighting Fed- Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, poses with kickboxer Tenshin
for entertainment purposes peared at a press confer- eration, which is putting on Nasukawa, of Japan, during a news conference at the
only, with no judges, no of- ence in Tokyo, where he the three-round exhibition, Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.
ficial record — and no kick- talked about the challenge told reporters in Japan last
ing. of taking on a young kick- month that negotiations billed as an exhibition. ons against him," he said
"I'm in the entertainment boxing champion. were ongoing to stage the "We don't want people to through an interpreter.
business. That's what I go A few days later, May- event despite the 41-year- think this is some half-heart- Mayweather earlier also
out there to do," May- weather issued a statement old Mayweather's appar- ed playing around," Sakaki- announced plans to fight
weather said Thursday at after returning to the U.S. ent reluctance. He said at bara said. Manny Pacquiao in De-
his Las Vegas gym. "I love that he was "blindsided" by the time that spectators And while Mayweather cember. That fight never
to do this. I'm working out Japanese officials and nev- would see more than mere talked about providing went past the talking stage,
to put on a show for three er intended to have an ac- "casual sparring" and that some entertainment in the and Mayweather claimed
rounds." tual fight with Nasukawa. the 20-year-old Nasukawa three-round event, Nasu- once again last month that
Nasukawa joined May- "First and foremost, I want it would have the opportu- kawa sounded a bit more he was retired and has no
weather at his gym to an- to be clear that I, Floyd May- nity to knock Mayweather serious about it. intention of having an ac-
nounce the exhibition, weather, never agreed to out despite the fight being "I'm going to use my weap- tual fight again.q