FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida - In a Sunday night exhibition fight, five division world champion Floyd Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) and John Gotti III (2-0, 1 KO) ended in an ugly brawl between the fighters and their camps.
The contest was scheduled eight two-minute rounds. Because the fight was sanctioned as an exhibition, no official winner was announced, and no judges were assigned to score the fight.
Mayweather, 46-years-old, retired from the sport in 2017 after stopping UFC superstar Conor McGregor in a cross-sport clash.
Since retiring, Mayweather has taken part in numerous exhibition fights. The most high-profile exhibition fight to date was a clash with social media star Logan Paul in 2021.
30-year-old Gotti - the grandson of organized crime icon John Gotti - turned professional in boxing last year. He also holds a 5-1 record in mixed martial arts.
Before the contest began, there was a loud 'Gotti' chant from the crowd. A big delay before the start of the first round, because there was a mob of people in Mayweather's corner that security and others had to clear out.
Once the first round started, Mayweather was toying with Gotti and began to unload with punches from the start. Gotti was pinned against the ropes and covering up - and not throwing much of anything in return. It was a complete mismatch with Mayweather landing whatever he wanted from all angles. Mayweather was dancing, trash talking and having fun in the ring.
In the second, Mayweather was picking his spots with punches to the head and body. Gotti actually threw a few shots, but they were too slow and hit air. The third round saw Mayweather come out in a shell and dared Gotti to bring the fight to him. Gotti refused to take the bait. He tried to throw more punches, but not much landed. Mayweather continued to tag his body with hooks and then came back upstairs.
Gotti was too slow with his punches to connect in the fourth. Mayweather pinned him against the ropes and began to unload with shots to the head and body. Gotti tried trash talking and got popped to the face for his trouble. In the fifth, there wasn't much of anything from either guy. Mayweather was taking his time and picking his shots.
Before the start of the sixth, referee Kenny Bayless warned both men for their continued trash talking and antics in the ring - and warned that he would stop the fight if they continued to ignore him. Bayless had warned them several times for their trading of obscenities during the bout. Once the round began, they continued to trash talk and use rough tactics, so Bayless had finally seen enough and waved off the fight.
Once the fight was waved off, Gotti lost it and went after Mayweather and they began to brawl. Both camps stormed the ring, punches were thrown by both sides and there was an ugly mob scene that lasted for some time as the entire ring was filled with bodies. Even after Gotti and Mayweather were escorted out of the ring, fights erupted inside the ring between both camps, and the craziness continued outside of the ring.
A member of Mayweather's team got on the mic and pleaded with those in attendance to safely leave the venue without further violence."
- BoxingScene
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