It is rare for an exhibition fight to receive so much media attention. It is exceptionally rare for a rematch to take place and for it to have more interest than the original clash. However, it wasn't what happened in the ring between Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III that fuelled interest in the August 24 rematch, it was what happened afterwards.
Their return bout takes place in Mexico City and will air on DAZN PPV.
WATCH: Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III 2, live on DAZN
Last June, I attended the first Mayweather-Gotti encounter at the home of the Florida Panthers. Like most Mayweather exhibitions, it was an easy night, with safe fights featuring the likes of Hector Lombard, the controversial Jarrell Miller, and Ulysses Diaz. The crowd filled in before the main event began, a rarity in boxing nowadays.
There was a buzz in the air as Mayweather returned to Florida for the first time since facing Logan Paul in 2021. Mayweather and Paul were surrounded by media all week. The former did what he does best, and Paul survived on a rainy night. The same thing was expected with Gotti III because he was an MMA fighter who had only dipped his toes in pro boxing.
Mayweather arrived with his entire family, making his entrance a long one. Gotti, the grandson of infamous gangster John Gotti, kept it simple. The action in the ring felt like the norm from any Mayweather exhibition fight, the Hall of Famer dominating every aspect of the contest while playing with his food.
Unlike previous exhibition opponents, Gotti looked competent against Mayweather at times. Still, Mayweather is Mayweather. He bullied his man in the sixth, though Gotti gave it back to him. Suddenly, in an odd moment, referee Kenny Bayless called the fight off due to consistent holding from Gotti. That enraged the New Yorker who thought he had a shot at beating Mayweather at his own game.
MORE: Breaking down the entire Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III 2 undercard
An incensed Gotti went after Mayweather following the stoppage. This prompted the ex-champ's retinue to enter the ring and before you knew it, they were throwing down with Team Gotti. It was complete chaos.
Fans were getting riled up, with the ring and the arena floor covered in individuals fighting one another. The ring was packed and Mayweather quickly exited the scene via the ring ramp before things got serious. After he left, both teams continued to brawl by the stands, leading to skirmishes in the backstage area.
A prominent media member took footage of the backstage action, which involved family members. For about 15 minutes, it felt like a Malice at the Palace repeat.
“From the beginning, tensions were high to begin with between me and Floyd,” Gotti told DAZN via Boxing Social. “He had a lot of negative energy coming into the fight, as did I. He tried trash-talking right away at the beginning of the fight, and when I was on the defensive for the first four rounds of the fight, I was just taking it. As I started getting comfortable in the fight, I started trash-talking a little back.
“Had I laid down and showed my belly and submitted to him, they would have let him trash talk all night, but the fact that I gave it back, it suddenly became a problem, and the referee warned us in the fifth round going into the sixth round. One warning though, he didn’t give us numerous warnings. We clinched up, we said a few words, and then he called the fight.
"I was annoyed, I felt like I was getting comfortable in the fight at that point, and I was in the fight, I started getting my second wind, and I felt they robbed me of my best round, so I just went on emotion.”
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Tensions leveled down as the night came to a close. Some fans got a high from the unsavory chaos and social media lit up significantly more than it did for the main event.
As everyone knows, controversy creates cash when it comes to entertainment and sports. With a net worth of over $400 million, Mayweather understands how to take advantage of a financial opportunity more than anyone. That is why this rematch is going ahead.
Given that Mayweather has a strong fanbase and almost everyone has access to streaming services, more eyes will be on the rematch because of what happened last time. It has been properly promoted, with multiple press conferences and plenty of hype.
What happens when Mayweather and Gotti throw down for a second time?