Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. pummeled John Gotti III in an exhibition bout on Saturday that left the Mexico City crowd disenchanted.
“Mayweather, 47, dominated Gotti from start to finish,” reported the news agency Al Jazeera, leaving the 22,000 people in attendance at the Arena Ciudad de México “unimpressed.”
Best angle we’ve seen 😳#MayweatherGotti pic.twitter.com/ynp9lkrbPP
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 25, 2024
USA Today reported that “[t]he crowd voiced its displeasure after the eight-round exhibition,” booing both fighters loudly. Al Jazeera added that a round-ending bell did not sound and that the referee left the ring mid-fight.
There was no official winner since this was an exhibition bout — meaning two-minute rounds with two minutes in between each round — and there were no judges.
Saturday’s fight was a rematch of the farcical June 2023 exhibition match that ended in the sixth round when a mass brawl erupted inside the ring.
The rematch teetered on the edge of parody when Panamanian referee Hector Afu left the ring in the second round, replaced by Mexican official Alfredo Uruzquieta.
Mayweather got angry when Afu warned him about throwing rabbit punches, which, to be fair, were actually wide hooks. It is not clear if Mayweather demanded the referee be replaced or if Afu simply had enough of the boxer’s threats and Gotti’s complaints.
The first round began with Mayweather throwing punches at Gotti’s head while the grandson of infamous crime boss John Gotti tried to limit the damage. Gotti’s corner then raised a ruckus when the bell failed to sound at the end of the round.
Other than the momentary delay in the second round, the fight continued with little mayhem, much to the crowd’s dismay. Mayweather had his way with Gotti, who showed little inclination to fight back until the fourth round.
Mayweather, who retired from boxing in 2017 with a 50-0 record, rained blows on the indifferent Gotti in the sixth and seventh rounds. Gotti managed to hold on in the eighth after Mayweather cornered him and the two embraced when the final bell rang out.
Mayweather managed to get the crowd back on his side after the bout, praising Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., who was there as part of the broadcast team, before saying “Mexico City, I love you guys. Thanks for coming out.’’
He also had praise for his opponent. “Gotti is tough as nails,” he said.
Gotti returned the respect, saying Mayweather hit him hard. “He’s still got it,” Gotti said.
Mayweather’s pre-fight flamboyance
Mayweather sparked controversy leading up to the fight as he was spotted traveling around Mexico City in a “sleek, armored SUV.”
Floyd Mayweather in Mexico with max security and a bulletproof tank
Ahead of the rematch with John Gotti III. 🔥💰 pic.twitter.com/J5GWdD9NOq— Slumk ✭ (@slumkk) August 22, 2024
Though some speculated about his need for heightened security, others took to social media to make light of the situation, describing him as an “attention seeking grandpa,” the sports site Marca reported.
With reports from ESPN, USA Today, Al Jazeera and Marca
