The world of squared rings boomed in unison as Floyd Mayweather clashed against John Gotti in an exhibition match on August 24, 2024. No winners were announced after the 8th round ended, with both fighters still standing their ground. Regardless, the fighting community didn’t miss out on the drama. 

In the second round, ‘Money’ seemed to have a heated debate with the referee in charge of the fight, Hector Afu. But the rumor mills began to churn when the referee walked out of the ring, only to be replaced by another on standby. While the fighting community started to think that Mayweather ‘fired’ the referee, Chael Sonnen had a different opinion.

Chael Sonnen weighs in on the change in referee at Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III

In the second round of the fight, the referee from Panama penalized the ‘Pretty Boy’ for sending a fist that he thought hit Gotti behind the head. Punches at the back of the head are indeed some of the most dangerous and illegal moves in boxing. Often, the fighters receive a warning for violating this rule, and there are times when the referees decide to disqualify the offender. But this time, Afu took points from Mayweather, which led to a heated verbal battle inside the ring. Mayweather asked for a change of officials and Alfredo Uruzquieta replaced Afu.

Soon, the netizens began talking about Mayweather ‘firing’ the referee. Yet, ‘The American Gangster’ took to his YouTube talk show and provided the only two possibilities that could have led to a referee swap. He said, “So, when I’m watching this and I can’t hear what Floyd is saying which is why I’m open to being wrong. If Floyd said certain words, I’d be open to be wrong. But if I’m just watching it, my first take would not be that Floyd who is complaining replaced a referee. It’d either be that the referee quit or the commission pulled him. That would be far more reasonable conclusion, considering the commission is the one that oversees the officials.”

Sonnen claimed that ‘Pretty Boy’ had no power whatsoever on the officials, and hence, was not in a position to ‘fire’ the referee. The former UFC contender continued, “But to say that Floyd fired the referee when it’s on tape and he did no such thing, not to mention, he was not the referee’s boss…”

While many in the fighting world bashed Mayweather for allegedly firing the referee, Stephen Fulton revealed some shady facts about the referee in charge of his fight with Naoya Inoue, back in July 2023. Surprisingly, the referee in charge was none other than Hector Afu.

Stephen Fulton lashes out at the referee

Inoue stopped Fulton in their fight and became the WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion. He knocked Fulton down in the opening minute of round 8 with a strong left fist. However, the Japanese fighter sent a few strikes after Fulton’s gloves touched the ground. Needless to say, ‘Cool Boy Steph’ was pretty upset with the referee who let Inoue hit him after he was down. 

When talks about Mayweather ‘firing’ Afu started going viral, Fulton took to X and unleashed a confession. He tweeted, “Not saying I wasn’t losing the fight lol hear me out. This the same ref that let Inoue hit me again after my gloves touched the canvas. No warning or anything. He’s a sh-tty ref.”

On the other hand, Henry Garcia, Ryan Garcia’s father, lashed out at Mayweather for allegedly firing the referee. He seemed to believe that it was ‘Money’s financial prowess that allowed him to get the officials exchanged. But what are your thoughts on the act? Do you think Mayweather actually fired the referee? Or is Chael Sonnen right in his take? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.