SPORTS:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is planning something big with Rizin.

During an emergency press conference held in Tokyo on April 9, the former champion announced a major boxing and MMA event to be held in Japan this 2019. Mayweather claimed that his exhibition match against Tenshin Nasukawa during New Year’s Eve helped him see the potential Japan has to offer the fight world, and that he plans to help enrich Japan’s fight culture to meet Las Vegas standards.

According to sources, Mayweather is still considering his participation in an exhibition match during the said event. No candidates for an opponent have been confirmed but former WBA world middleweight champion Ryota Murata is rumored to be a frontrunner. Other details about the big occasion are yet to be revealed.

This follows the news of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao signing on with Rizin just 24 hours ago, hinting that there might be a rematch on the way. While Mayweather himself denied the possibility due to his retirement, the two rivals working either side-by-side as businessmen or against each other in an exhibition match is still an exciting thought for many boxing fans.

After failing to make the NBA playoffs this season, Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Operations President Magic Johnson is stepping down from his front office position. The former Lakers star announced the news in a spontaneous press conference, highlighting the Ben Simmons mishap and the significance of his relationship with owner Jeanie Buss as his decision’s key points.

Back in February, Simmons approached Johnson for point guard advice, raising eyebrows in the league after the Lakers were fined a total of $550,000 in regards to the NBA’s strict tampering rules. Johnson claimed that the situation was hurtful as they made him “look like the bad guy.” He also noted Dwyane Wade’s retirement and how he was legally barred from celebrating or attending his ceremony due to his job title.

Talking about Buss, Johnson revealed that the Lakers owner was still unaware of his choice to quit. ”Somebody’s going to have to tell my boss because I knew I couldn’t be face-to-face and tell her,” he said. He touched on the importance of their sibling-like relationship, stating, “I think that with her and I, I wanna always preserve our relationship. I think I had more fun when I was able to be the big brother and ambassador.”

The Hall of Famer’s decision could have a massive impact on the franchise, with ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski tweeting that the Lakers coaching staff is fully expected to be fired after the team’s final game of the season. Additionally, he recalled Johnson’s inability to fully commit to working with the Lakers in the last 16 months. “Running an NBA team takes a tremendous commitment of time and energy,” he wrote.

Watch the rest of the press conference and read up on Woj’s tweets below.

In other news, watch this heartfelt retirement tribute to Dwyane Wade.

After failing to make the NBA playoffs this season, Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Operations President Magic Johnson is stepping down from his front office position. The former Lakers star announced the news in a spontaneous press conference, highlighting the Ben Simmons mishap and the significance of his relationship with owner Jeanie Buss as his decision’s key points.

Back in February, Simmons approached Johnson for point guard advice, raising eyebrows in the league after the Lakers were fined a total of $550,000 in regards to the NBA’s strict tampering rules. Johnson claimed that the situation was hurtful as they made him “look like the bad guy.” He also noted Dwyane Wade’s retirement and how he was legally barred from celebrating or attending his ceremony due to his job title.