What happened during Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III? Revisiting violent ruckus that plagued the first match
The Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III event was one marked by extensive chaos both inside and outside the ring. The two bitter rivals are now set to clash in a rematch after their previous encounter ended in an anticlimactic and controversial manner.
Mayweather is considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time. 'Money' boasts a professional boxing record of 50-0 with 27 victories coming via KO/TKO. He retired from pro boxing in Aug. 2017 and has competed in exhibition boxing bouts in recent years.
Meanwhile, Gotti III (5-1 MMA, 2-0 boxing) last competed in a professional MMA bout in Oct. 2020 and in a pro boxing bout in Jan. 2023. The 31-year-old is the grandson of the late mob boss John Joseph Gotti Jr. and the son of former mob boss John Angelo Gotti.
Presently, the Mayweather vs. Gotti III rematch is scheduled to take place at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on Aug. 24, 2024.
What happened during Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III?
The first Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III encounter took place at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, U.S.A., on June 11, 2023. It saw Mayweather invest considerably in body shots throughout. 'Money's' strategy paid dividends, as it opened up the window to land clean strikes on Gotti's head.
To his credit, the gritty Gotti showed incredible durability in the face of fire and even attempted to aggressively stalk Mayweather. However, Gotti appeared to have his rhythm disrupted courtesy of the precise punches the boxing great landed from long range.
The mid-range and close-range exchanges also featured more of the same, as Mayweather's seemingly impenetrable defense and consistent offense neutralized Gotti. The young pugilist's conundrum seemed to be the same as many of 'Money's' past opponents, which is that Mayweather either deftly rolled with the punches that landed or evaded them completely.
Check out the highlights from the Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III boxing match and post-match brawl below:
The initial rounds seemed all Floyd Mayweather, but John Gotti III did get a glimmer of hope through rounds three and four, notably landing a few punches and responding to his foe's trash talk with some of his own. The fifth round consisted of excessive clinching, fouling, and mid-fight talking between the boxers.
Referee Kenny Bayless warned them during and after the round, indicating that he'd stop the fight if they didn't comply with his instructions. Regardless, they continued the same in round six. Ergo, Bayless stopped the fight, which was deemed to have ended as an NC (No Contest).
After Bayless' decision, a visibly irate Gotti charged toward and started punching Mayweather who responded in kind to defend himself. Both fighters' corners got involved in the ensuing mass brawl. In addition, several other brawls broke out among the audience who were in attendance for the fight.
Watch the brawl below:
In the aftermath of the chaotic Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III matchup, Gotti labeled Mayweather a "pu*k bit*h" and suggested that he'd like Conor McGregor as backup. McGregor, a UFC legend and one-time Mayweather opponent, tweeted his support for the Gottis against 'Money'.