Floyd Mayweather managed to outclass John Gotti III in an exhibition fight rematch that left the Mexico City crowd wondering why they hadn’t stayed home.
The event, peppered with bizarre moments including a missing round-ending bell and a referee swap, didn’t quite live up to whatever low expectations might have been set. Mayweather, at 47, controlled the fight effortlessly, which isn’t saying much considering Gotti’s lackluster performance that earned the audience’s scorn rather than their applause.
In the opening round, Mayweather started aggressively, targeting Gotti’s head while Gotti seemed more concerned with surviving than actually fighting back. The scene turned slightly farcical when the bell failed to ring at the end of the first two minutes, leading to prolonged action until Gotti’s corner managed to catch the oversight.
The spectacle continued in the second round with Mayweather delivering an illegal blow, prompting Panamanian referee Hector Afu to exit the ring in a huff, replaced by Mexican referee Alfredo Uruzquieta in what felt like an absurd twist in a poorly scripted play.
It wasn’t until the fourth round that Gotti decided to throw meaningful punches, though they did about as much damage as a stern talking-to. The following rounds saw Mayweather pummel a barely defensive Gotti, increasing the crowd’s frustration with the one-sided affair.
The final round saw Mayweather cornering Gotti, who clung on desperately until the end, culminating in a fight where no official winner was declared because, let’s face it, it was just an exhibition match.
Following their previous encounter in South Florida, which ended in a brawl involving both fighters’ camps, this rematch was less about the sport and more about the spectacle—or the lack thereof.