JAPANESE kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa falls to the mat after being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. early in the first round of their three-round exhibition match on New Year’s Eve in Saitama, north of Tokyo. AP

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was quick with his fingers in blasting Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s New Year’s Eve demolition of Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, tweeting his view on the uneven fight that earned his American rival millions in minutes.

Pacquiao, who lost to the unbeaten Mayweather on 2 May 2015, got support from boxing fans who similarly criticized Mayweather’s victory over the 20-year old Nasukawa, whom he knocked down thrice before his corner threw the towel into the ring in surrender.

Mayweather won via a first-round technical knockout but Pacquiao was not impressed.

Using his Twitter account, Pacquiao said: “Here is an early New Year’s resolution. To continue to only fight experienced opponents who are my size or bigger.”

Boxing enthusiasts view Pacquiao’s statement as a shot against Mayweather who has continuously ducked Pacquiao’s challenge for a rematch.

Pacquiao will fight American Adrien Broner on 19 January in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Associaton (WBA) welterweight title.

The fight was so uneven that Mayweather was predicted to win easily over Nasukawa who normally campaigns at 122 pounds. Mayweather, who considers himself retired, fights in between 147-150 lbs.

It took less than three minutes for Mayweather to knock down Tenshin Nasukawa three times in a totally one-sided bout of exhibition boxing.

Nasukawa’s father threw in the towel after 140 seconds of the first round on Monday as his 20-year-old son bravely teetered around the ring trying to get up.

It was a quick and definitive victory for the 41-year-old American. Mayweather was gracious in victory, hugging the weeping Nasukawa and calling him “still a great champion.” Nasukawa, however, barely landed a clean punch against the vastly more experienced Mayweather.

The rules for the three-round contest — organized by The Rizin Fighting Federation and held at Saitama Super Arena on the northern outskirts of Tokyo — were no kicking allowed and no official record of the match.

Mayweather said: “Tenshin is still undefeated. I’m still undefeated.”

Mayweather has won all 50 of his pro fights, while Nasukawa has an undefeated record in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

“It’s all about having fun,” Mayweather told reporters after the fight, praising Nasukawa as a “young hungry lion.”

The Mayweather-Nasukawa bout culminated an evening of more than a dozen fights, streamed by FITE for a fee, but not in the US. Fuji TV was the broadcaster in Japan.

Mayweather, who hadn’t fought since beating UFC star Conor McGregor more than a year ago, said he was retired and came to Tokyo to give an opportunity to a younger fighter like Nasukawa.