The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III exhibition rematch in Mexico City on Saturday night was what you might have expected. The fight had eight, mostly uneventful two-minute rounds, with Mayweather dominating his inexperienced opponents en route to the victory.
There were no knockdowns or wow moments. The most noteworthy moment happened in the second round when Mayweather had the referee ejected from the fight. The initial ref was getting a bit too involved in the action, especially regarding punches he felt landed on the back of the head. Mayweather was disgusted with a reprimand, and it appeared that we might be headed for another bizarre situation akin to what happened after their first fight. Instead, Mayweather yelled for the referee to "move out the way," and suddenly, the third man in the ring was replaced. It appeared to everyone watching that Mayweather fired him on the spot.
After the fight, Mayweather seemed to dispel a rumor that he would face Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. in his next exhibition match. The Mexican icon was present, and he embraced Mayweather as the latter paid his respects. If Chavez Sr. isn’t next for Mayweather, and it appears he’ll continue to fight in these exhibitions, who is next on the all-time greats list? It might be wise to look outside of boxing toward someone with a level of notoriety and some combat sports experience but limited time in the boxing ring. Jake Paul has patterned his matchmaking after Mayweather, which has proven to be a money-making strategy. Mayweather has fought YouTubers in the past. Would he face another influencer like Cash Nasty, Duke Dennis, Troydan or perhaps even entertain a rematch with Conor McGregor?
Whatever Mayweather chooses to pursue, you can bet it’ll carry the potential for another strong payday.
The fight almost went off without a hitch. The second round saw Mayweather switch the referee out mid-fight. That almost started another brawl between both camps, but things resolved quickly. Gotti complained about multiple shots behind the head, but no points could be taken off, and Mayweather only got a stern warning. He responded by smiling, talking to those on the outside, and playing with his food. Both embraced as the contest ended.
Mayweather earned another paycheck to add to his recent endeavors after retiring from the pro level in 2017. He rejected rumors he would fight the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, 62. As for Gotti, it is unknown what is next for the MMA fighter, boxer, and grandson of notorious gangster John Gotti.
The co-main saw a battle of legitimate contenders. Top-ranked Alan Picasso and former contender Azat Hovhannisyan competed in a hard-hitting affair for WBC super bantamweight bragging rights. With open scoring in play, both kicked it up a notch. Picasso was leading on the cards, especially after Hovhannisyan got deducted a point for multiple shots below the belt, but they didn’t coast through the fight.
They both played it close to the vest. Hovhannisyan tried landing body shots, while Picasso used his reach to land jabs and overhand blows. The judges scored the fight in favor of Picasso.
Is a date with super bantamweight king, multi-division champion, and pound-for-pound fighter Naoya Inoue in his future?
Former Mayweather opponent Victor Ortiz returned to the ring for the first time since 2022 and went all eight rounds in an exhibition fight against Damian Coria. The former world champion looked slow to start but picked up the pace in the later rounds. No winner was announced.
Ortiz expects to compete in a pro fight next week, making this a test of his formerly dominant skills.
Meanwhile, Mayweather protege Curmel Moton only needed 55 seconds to beat Victor Vazquez, who last fought in 2018. The 18-year-old continues his progress in the ring with his third win of 2024.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire Mayweather vs. Gotti 2 fight card.
The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-John Gotti III exhibition rematch didn't have any excessive trash talk or a brawl like their original clash last year. It was just a self-proclaimed "The Best Ever" in Mayweather serving up a boxing clinic over eight two-minute rounds to put this surprise rivalry to bed Saturday night and coast handily at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, and live on DAZN.
The 47-year-old boxing legend did what he wanted in the ring from establishing the jab to piecing together combinations, touching the body and eluding Gotti III's shots, while flashing smiles along the way. "We had to put on a show for the people. I want to thank Gotti for being a man of his word," Mayweather said live on DAZN, while the two men embraced, seemingly burying any lingering bad blood. Gotti III added: "He still got it."
That was for sure as Mayweather was sharp, proving in this 16-minute exhibition rematch that he's still a master of his craft. The only bit of controversy that the rematch included came during the second round when the referee stopped the action to warn Mayweather about punching behind the head to which "Money" repeatedly told him to "move!" His demands came to fruition as the referee was immediately replaced. When the action resumed, Mayweather picked up where he left off by re-establishing the jab like clockwork to little resistance as the prodding weapon split Gotti III's guard. Gotti III couldn't figure Mayweather's sweet science out and there's no shame in that considering Mayweather's 50-0 pro record signals that none of his opponents could resolve his brilliant boxing, either.
After the fight, Mayweather seemingly dismissed the idea of having an exhibition bout with another boxing legend in Julio Cesar Chavez, 62, heaping praise onto the Hall of Famer for paving his way, instead.
