If the brawl that broke out during the first Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III exhibition fight wasn’t enough of a disgrace for boxing, Mayweather’s antics from the fight back in June last year have now been labeled a disgrace as well. This came to light after the grandson of the former New York Crime Family Boss appeared in an interview on Sunday.
Mayweather and Gotti III are duking it out on August 24th at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City for their much-anticipated rematch. However, before the action begins, Michael McCarthy, aka ‘Large’ from Barstool Sports, caught up with Gotti III in the Power House Gym in Long Island, New York, where the boxer/mixed martial artist spilled the beans on what Floyd did during their first fight in Florida.
John Gotti III had to wait for Floyd Mayweather for 15 minutes
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In a conversation with Gotti, ‘Large’ noted that Mayweather’s aggressive approach in the first round of their initial fight deviated from his typical strategy. He probed Gotti about Mayweather’s mindset, questioning whether he might adopt the same aggressive tactics in their upcoming bout.
In response, Teflon Don’s grandson said, “Well, he probably figured I was inexperienced in boxing. I was a little cold—I waited in the ring for about 15 minutes or so…” This sent ‘Large’ into a frenzy, who interrupted Gotti to claim, “That’s another thing. That’s a disgrace, like, everybody knows a boxer has to have a sweat on.”
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Reflecting on what Floyd’s mindset could have been, Gotti III had some interesting ideas. Gotti suggested that ‘Money’ may have taken him for an easy challenge, who may give up after a few shots. “I don’t know what film he watched, never in any fight, MMA or boxing, I ever laid down in any fight. So, I don’t know what his mindset was,” Gotti continued.
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Has Floyd Mayweather tarnished his legacy with his recent antics against John Gotti III?
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While he might not have known what Floyd was thinking, Gotti knew Mayweather was “determined” to take him down.
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Floyd Mayweather showed up at the venue 15 minutes early
Further elaborating on his point, Gotti revealed, “I do know he was motivated. I’ve never seen Floyd show up to an arena before any opponent. He was there 15 minutes before me and I was early.” Not just that. According to Gotti III, Floyd Mayweather had brought in a variety of gloves to fight him that night.
Apparently, ‘Money’ had a selection of Cleto Reyes gloves in his locker room, which Gotti III suggested “are puncher gloves.” This, in addition to the aggressive strategy Floyd Mayweather showed in the fight, had convinced Gotti that Mayweather “had a grudge to pick and he was determined to hurt me.”
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With mere days left in the exhibition bout in Mexico, John Gotti III’s statements have provided another layer of intrigue to the matchup. They were already eager to settle their differences from the past fight, but now Gotti has put into perspective how much this fight really means to the two boxers. Do you think Mayweather coming to the ring 15 minutes late is a disgrace to boxing?
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Has Floyd Mayweather tarnished his legacy with his recent antics against John Gotti III?