By Jack Walsh
SEMI-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., 50-0 (27 KOs), controlled an unscored, oddball exhibition matchup against John Gotti III, 2-0 (1 KOs), last night at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.
The glorified spar went the distance, lasting the entirety of the scheduled eight two-minute rounds.
In the first, Mayweather landed smooth jabs and a notable counter right, along with a few hooks that connected easily on the heavier Gotti — who showed no signs of looking to engage in any ring interaction from the first bell until the very last.
Cool, calm and collected, the poised Mayweather, 47, was clearly fighting for a payday, sticking his opponent from the get-go to ensure his dominance, although hardly looking to participate in any type of jaw dropping punching activity or pressing trades.
In round two, an evident Mayweather hook was deemed a rabbit punch by the first referee, who Gotti had already told to watch for such hits. The backup referee came into play after a short-tempered Floyd fiercely argued that his punch landed cleanly.
For a moment, it seemed possible that another skirmish could occur, as tensions were high, and the last encounter between the two fighters was ended by referee Kenny Bayless due to holding and constant trash talk, leading to an all out brawl in the ring.
Unfortunately, the excitement and intensity was limited.
Round three presented a bit of action, though, as Floyd had Gotti briefly against the ropes, hitting him with a right to the body and measuring up his one-two with pure confidence.
Age clearly hasn’t impacted Mayweather’s mentality of acting the role of the greatest amidst glimpses of concise punch outputs, even if underperforming overall.
Mayweather fought with his high guard in the fight, as he was on the offensive for most of the bout, compared to battling in his prominent Philly Shell that fans are used to witnessing, which he showcased consistently during his 50-win career.
It wasn’t until round seven that Mayweather punched with consistent substance, however. For example, employing a stiffer jab, finally trying to break down the less experienced Gotti, while also launching a few hard body shots and combos.
The fight wasn’t one to remember by any means, especially with the 31-year-old Gotti hardly throwing or landing any punches in this rematch, much to the displeasure of the crowd, who in the beginning — and a few times throughout — cheered Gotti’s name, and by the end filled the stadium with piercing boos.
It’s become relatively common for Mayweather to fight inferior fighters in exhibitions as a clear money grab. After tonight, perhaps Floyd should give it a rest to save his legacy from including a chapter of mediocre exhibitions that are ultimately disliked by fans.
