The cold war has ended! K-1 and Rizin have come to an agreement for the kickboxing superstar showdown of Tenshin Nasukawa vs Takeru Segawa. The official date has been set as June 19, 2022 and will be hosted at the Tokyo Dome.
The official announcement came from the K-1 Twitter account. Translated from Japanese to English it read:
“Tenshin Nasukawa vs Takeru. The stage of the decisive battle is … June 19, 2022 (Sun) Tokyo Dome decided.”
This was announced on April 1 so a representative close to K-1 added: “It was really decided, not April Fool’s Day!”
Tenshin added on Twitter, “I’ll be waiting at Tokyo Dome” and Takeru responded saying, “Be sure to win the entire Tokyo Dome.” Through translation. The official K-1 Website has been updated as well to reflect the agreed date and location.
Tenshin vs Takeru – The Cold War
This match has been massively anticipated in the Kickboxing community for years now. Tenshin and Takeru are two dominant fighters, champions of multiple weight classes, and compete in the same weight class, same sport, and the same city, and yet have never fought. Takeru has been undefeated since 2012 and has picked up three K-1 weight class titles, plus he defended each multiple times and also grabbed three Grand Prix titles in three different weight classes. Tenshin is considered a kickboxing phenom. He is only aged 23 and yet the Japanese fighter has become a superstar. He is undefeated in 42 fights. He captured titles in ISKA, RISE, and RIZIN, plus tournament victories. He is best known for his stunning and quick knockouts. Often winning via knockout with a flying knee in the very first round.
Tenshin said that he will have one last fight, Tenshin vs Takeru, and then move on to boxing. “I decided to retire from kickboxing and switch to boxing because of my desire to always take on the challenge.” Tenshin said in a statement, “I think that there is a part that can be applied to boxing opponents because of the skill of kicking. Since I started practicing boxing for conversion, I have only stimulated every day. In boxing, It’s a start from the bottom, so I’m excited to see how strong the players are on the top.”
The Tokyo Dome has been a staple of the best combat sports. It can seat up to 57,000 people. It played host to every K-1 Grand Prix finale from 1997 to 2006. It also held multiple PRIDE FC events. Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson competed in the Tokyo Dome twice. Mainly, though, it is a baseball stadium that is home to the Yomiuri Giants team. And now, Tenshin vs Takeru will take center stage on June 19.
For more information stick with MMA Sucka. For ticket info and how to watch keep an eye on the K-1 Official website. As for now it says, “The title of this event, other cards, ticket sales information, rules of Tenshin Nasukawa vs Takeru, etc. will be announced as soon as they are decided, or will be announced at a press conference.” More to be announced.
