CROSSOVER HIT
The Ring: Do you have any favorite fighters? TN: Since becoming a boxer, I do watch some big matches when they come up. I think Terence Crawford is really strong. He’s got the skills, speed and power – the whole package. My trainer, Mr. Takahiro Aoh, and my promoter, Mr. Akihiko Honda, also told me that he’s someone worth studying. But in general, I try not to watch too much
The Ring: Besides Dragon Ball , what other comics do you like? TN: Naruto , One Piece , and I also like Akira . I enjoy all kinds of anime, really. The Ring: You’re a major draw in Japan, but have you ever thought about fighting in the U.S. someday? TN: Yeah, I’ve thought it might be fun one day. I even imagine what kind of production or entrance I’d do. It’s not
TN: It’s not like I’m doing this because I’m desperate to have a championship belt. Just having the belt doesn’t necessarily mean you’re strong or amazing, right? I think value is something you define for yourself. That said, I do think I need to win it to give more weight and credibility to what I’m doing. The Ring: So it’s something you need to show as part of your pursuit of true strength? TN: Yeah, without that, people won’t really be convinced. I feel like winning a title is kind of the starting point for everything else. You have to take care of that first before you can move on to bigger things. The Ring: When is your next fight? Will it be a world title bout? TN: Probably sometime in the fall — around the time the leaves are changing color. That’s when I think it’ll happen. It’s planned to be a world title fight. Last time they called it a “world title eliminator,” so I think that’s where things are headed. The Ring: Do you feel any sort of rivalry with WBO bantamweight world champion Yoshiki Takei? TN: Not really, to be honest. We’ve both competed in kickboxing and now boxing, and he’s a champion in boxing now. From a storyline perspective, I think it would be interesting if we fought – something the fans would enjoy. It’d be one of the more exciting matchups within Japan. If it’s meant to happen, I think it will. The Ring: You’re three wins and one draw against him from your amateur kickboxing days, right? TN: Yeah, that’s right. He’s considered one of the top fighters of our generation, so of course I want to fight him. The Ring: Right now in the bantamweight division, there’s a strong group of Japanese fighters, like Junto Nakatani, Seiya Tsutsumi, Ryosuke Nishida,
The Ring: More than what you’ve done before? TN: Kickboxing has its world, MMA has its world – each one has its own kind of enjoyment. It just feels like I’ve jumped into something new and found a different kind of joy. From the outside, boxing might not look flashy. It can seem kind of plain. But the more you learn, the more you realize how deep it is. I genuinely enjoy training. I can’t get enough of it. The Ring: How’s your chemistry with trainer Takahiro Aoh, a former world champion himself? TN: I feel like even if boxing weren’t involved, we’d still be close. I just like him as a person. He’s honest – no sugarcoating – and I really respect that. When something’s not right, he tells me straight up. That kind of person is the easiest to trust. You know, as you get stronger or gain more status, a lot of people start surrounding themselves with yes-men. But Aoh-san isn’t like that. He treats me as an equal. The Ring: What’s your ultimate goal, both as a boxer and as a person? TN: I’ve always said this, but I want to energize Japan. Of course fighting is important, but living everyday life properly is even more important. Everyone has tough times and struggles, but I want to send the message that we keep going and live through it. The Ring: And what do you think you have to do to uplift Japan? TN: I have to show that I’m not just talk. Actions speak louder than words. I believe it’s important to live out what you say. For that, I need to keep getting stronger, keep winning and keep putting on exciting fights. A lot of adults say stuff like, “Life was more fun when I was a kid.” But come on – life can be fun as an adult, too. If we keep saying childhood was better, kids might start thinking there’s nothing to look forward to. I want to show people that life stays fun even when you grow up.
lower-weight fighter against someone from a middleweight class. But you still see it as a positive experience? TN: Yeah, I’m glad I got to fight him. I mean, don’t you want to test yourself against the best guy in the world? If that kind of offer comes, no fighter would say no. I’ve never run from a challenge. I always want to fight strong opponents, and that mindset definitely came out back then too.
Takuma Inoue and Daigo Higa. Is there anyone in particular you’d like to fight? TN: Honestly, I want to fight all of them. Some people look at a division stacked with domestic talent and think, “Man, this is going to be a rough path.” But for me, I feel like I’ve been training in boxing so I can beat every single one of them . I want to fight all the big names and strong opponents. That said, it’s been two years and I’m still not a champion. I’ve been learning what boxing is all about, and when the time is right, I’ll be ready. I think starting next year is when things will really get exciting. The Ring: Where do you think you are right now in terms of a percentage of your potential? TN: Hmm. Good question. Maybe around 60%? I’ve still got a long way to go. Could even be closer to 50%. Somewhere between 50 to 60%, I’d say. The Ring: Right now, Japanese boxing is being led by Naoya Inoue. As someone who’s watched fighters from all over the world, how do you see Inoue? TN: I just think he’s incredibly strong. He can do everything, and he fights aggressively. Honestly, he’s the kind of boxer you can’t really find any faults with. The Ring: Would you like to fight him someday, even with how strong he is? TN: Yeah, I think if I become strong enough, the opportunity will come. That’s why it all depends on how much I can elevate my own ability. Right now, saying I want to fight him wouldn’t be realistic – it would just create weird expectations around me, and that’s not good. I’m actually pretty grounded. But if the time comes, I’ll be ready. And I do believe that time will come. That’s part of what makes boxing so exciting for me. The Ring: So you’re enjoying boxing? TN: I’m loving it. I’m honestly grateful to boxing. I never knew something could be this fun.
boxing. I don’t want to be influenced or stuck in certain patterns that might change my own style. I think staying true to my own style is important. The Ring: I’ve heard you don’t even watch footage of your opponents before fights. TN: That’s true. I’ve been that way since my kickboxing days. If you study your opponent too much, you might not know how to react if they do something unexpected. That’s not good. So I always try to be ready for anything, no matter what comes at me.
The Ring: Now that you’ve learned more about boxing, are you still interested in those “adventure-style” fights? TN: Of course. I still want to do them. But I haven’t even become a world champion in boxing yet. [...] So for now, I need to focus on becoming champion and building my resume. After that, I want to take part in fights that can spark big movements again. I’m an entertainer at heart. The Ring: Are you still living in a manga- style world today? TN: Yes, that’s still how I live my life. I fight strong enemies, eat meals with my friends, and then say, “All right, on to the next challenge!” (laughs) That’s the kind of world I live in.
In his sixth pro fight, Nasukawa beat former titleholder Jason Moloney.
The Ring: In the U.S., you’re still remembered for your 2018 exhibition match with Floyd Mayweather. How do you look back on that now? TN: It’s not like a bitter memory or anything. Looking back now, I’m just amazed it even happened. To be honest, I didn’t know much about boxing at the time. (laughs) I was living in the Dragon Ball universe – if there’s a strong guy out there, I get excited and want to fight him. That’s how I’ve always been. After switching to boxing for real, I realized, “Wow, I fought someone that legendary.” I’m glad I got to do it.
like fighting in the U.S. is my ultimate dream or anything, but if there was an offer and someone genuinely wanted me to fight there, I’d definitely consider it. That being said, people say Las Vegas is the center of the boxing world. But I think Japan is part of the world too – that’s how I see it. The Ring: A world title fight is starting to come into your view. Do you feel like you have to win it? How do you personally view the idea of a boxing world title?
The Ring: It was a wild matchup – a
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