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Boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr. rematched John Gotti III in an exhibition Saturday night in Mexico City. The fight played out exactly as many expected, and as the first meeting did, with the boxing great simply being a better fighter. Thankfully, the fight did not end in a brawl as was the case in their June 2023 meeting. Despite Mayweather clearly dominating the action, no winner was announced due to the fight being an exhibition.

Mayweather was cautious to not give Gotti opportunities to do effective work, instead leaning heavily on his jab followed by straight right hands to control the action. As the rounds ticked by, Gotti was visibly frustrated by Mayweather’s standard economic and effective approach to the “sweet science.”

Floyd Mayweather John Gotti III

JUST IN: Floyd Mayweather boxes John Gotti III soundly in exhibition rematch

Given the fight was an exhibition, featuring eight, two-minute rounds, there was not likely to be any notable result. This has been a standard approach to exhibition fights since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Mayweather only truly bringing his best game in bouts with Japanese kickboxers in fights that would have a result announced at the end.

Like his exhibition fights with the likes of Logan Paul, Mayweather was content to carry the fight through the scheduled time for the bout while clearly being the better of the two men in the ring. At the conclusion of the eighth round, there was no winner announced.

Mayweather and Gotti embraced after the fight, a stark contrast to the brawl that followed their first bout.

Throughout his storied professional career, Mayweather had many notable bouts with Mexican superstars. Having held an exhibition on hostile soil, Mayweather was thankful to the crowd.

“Mexico City,” Mayweather said. “Thanks for coming out.”

The rematch puts this surprise rivalry to bed.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-John Gotti III exhibition rematch didn’t have any excessive trash talk or brawl.

It was just a self-proclaimed “The Best Ever” in Mayweather serving up a boxing clinic over eight two-minute rounds to put this surprise rivalry to bed Saturday night at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, and live on DAZN.

The 47-year-old boxing legend did what he wanted in the ring from establishing the jab to piecing together combinations, touching the body and eluding Gotti III’s shots, while flashing smiles along the way.

Floyd Mayweather John Gotti III

 

JUST IN: Video Highlights: Floyd Mayweather replaces referee mid-fight, dominates John Gotti III in chaotic rematch

“We had to put on a show for the people. I want to thank Gotti for being a man of his word,” Mayweather said live on DAZN, while the two men embraced, seemingly burying any lingering bad blood.

Gotti III added: “He still got it.”

The only bit of controversy that the bout included came during the second round when the referee stopped the action to warn Mayweather about punching behind the head to which “Money” repeatedly told him to “move!” In a way, his demands came to fruition as the referee was immediately replaced.

When the action resumed, Mayweather picked up where he left off by re-establishing the jab like clockwork to little resistance as the prodding weapong split Gotti III’s jab.

Gotti III couldn’t figure Mayweather’s sweet science out and there’s no shame in that considering Mayweather’s 50-0 record signals that none of his opponents could resolve his brilliant boxing, either.

After the bout, Mayweather seemingly dismissed the idea of having an exhibition bout with another boxing legend in Julio Cesar Chavez, 62, heaping praise onto the Hall of Famer for paving his way, instead.

Here’s how the entire Mayweather vs. Gotti III rematch main card went.

Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III: Round by Rounds Updates and Highlights

Video Highlights: Floyd Mayweather replaces referee mid-fight, dominates John Gotti III in chaotic rematch

The great Floyd Mayweather Jr. returned to the boxing ring last night (Sat., Aug. 24, 2024) LIVE on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, dominating former opponent John Gotti III in a main event rematch.

These two have a bit of history after their first fight in June 2023 ended with too much trash talk and an in-ring melee. It has taken over a year for Mayweather and Gotti to run it back, but it finally went down late Saturday night. Making things more interesting is the fact that this was the first time “Money” was fighting on Mexican soil.

JUST IN: Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III: Round by Rounds Updates and Highlights

Mayweather was toying with Gotti in the early going of the rematch and it frustrated the former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. The two boxers kept talking trash in between rounds as the referee struggled to control the action. Not to mention the same referee made a bad call for a behind-the-head shot by Mayweather. “Money” was not happy and proceeded to protest and scream at the official. Eventually, the call was made to bring in a replacement ref to keep the fight going. It was chaos.

Mayweather did what he always does for the remainder of the fight. He allowed Gotti to get some pop shots off before firing counter punches. “Money” defended nicely, took barely any punishment, and dictated every second of the fight. Gotti was just in there sharing the ring with a legend.

Check out the video highlights below:

 

Arguably the greatest boxer the sport has ever seen returns to the ring tonight as Floyd Mayweather Jr. looks to end his surprise rivalry with John Gotti III in their exhibition rematch.

It all takes place at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City.

Their first fight ended in a sixth-round no contest last year when the referee brought a halt to the action due to excessive trash talk, culminating in a massive brawl between the fighters’ camps.

Floyd Mayweather John Gotti IIIREAD: Floyd Mayweather “Living a GTA Life” as the Boxing Legend Pulls up in Mexico with a ‘Bulletproof Tank’

Gotti III has said the two are going to have to put fighting over boxing in this rematch and here’s their chance.

Will the 47-year-old Mayweather put on a boxing clinic and make it look easy? Or will Gotti III pull off what would be a mammoth upset of the boxing legend?

We are just over a year removed from the original Mayweather-Gotti III exhibition match ending in a no-contest due to excessive trash talk that sparked a brawl between the fighters’ camps. Tonight, Mayweather and Gotti III will look to end their surprise rivalry with this exhibition rematch. Mayweather is of course arguably the greatest of all time with a pristine 50-0 record including 27 KOs. The 47-year-old legend meets Gotti III who is 2-0 with 1 KO.

John Gotti III makes his walk

He’ll have his work cut out for him going against arguably the greatest of all time in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Here comes Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After a lengthy wait for some gamesmanship, Mayweather, draped in colors of the Mexican flag, makes his walk flanked by Los Angeles Lakers’ star Anthony Davis.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III; Round 1

There’s the bell and this one is scheduled for eight two-minute rounds. Mayweather comes out trying to assert the jab before digging to the body with a left. He then goes back to snapping that jab. Gotti III is 20 pounds heavier than “Money” Mayweather who is the more active boxer early on. Mayweather is now splitting Gotti III’s guard with the jab. There seems to be a bit of confusion of the length of the round, but the opening frame comes to an end. Even though this bout is an exhibition and not being scored, we’re going to keep score here just to give you an idea about how it’s going. (10-9 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 2

DAZN’s announcers report that Gotti III’s corner is already speaking up about what they feel is punching behind the head from Mayweather. Just as that’s said, the referee warns Mayweather to be mindful of rabbit punches. Mayweather responds by telling the ref to “move” repeatedly. Each fighter has a member of his corner step up onto the ring apron and WOW! We have a swapping of referees! How often do we ever see that!? The action resumes with Mayweather going back to the jab like clockwork. Gotti III is getting more active with his hands. A bizarre second round comes to a close. (10-9 Mayweather, 20-18 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 3

Mayweather is now measuring Gotti III up and piecing together combinations to which the latter looks to the referee. The boxing legend ducks out of harm’s way during the waning seconds. (10-9 Mayweather, 30-27 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 4

Mayweather’s steady stream of jabs give way to him evading a left hook from Gotti III and flashing a smile. Mayweather is touching Gotti III with light shots to the body before he gets a body shot in return. (10-9 Mayweather, 40-36 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 5

Gotti III’s corner is imploring their man to rough the boxing legend up and get more physical. He might have to take shots from Mayweather to land some of his own. A counter uppercut catches Gotti III off guard. Mayweather is splitting Gotti III’s guard with a peppering of jabs before ducking and eluding shots. At 47, Mayweather’s reflexes are still sharp. (10-9 Mayweather, 50-45 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 6

Mayweather showing a high guard, which could mean he’s going to sit on power shots this round. Gotti III immediately responds with a glancing right hook. Moments later, he adds a left hook that partially lands. But Mayweather sneaks in some body shots and smiles out of the clinch. Fans in Mexico City are asking for more action. (10-9 Mayweather, 60-54 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 7

Mayweather starts the round showing a willingness to fight in the pocket. He’s sitting on hard shots to the body. Gotti III peppers Mayweather to the body with a jab before “TBE” storms back with unanswered shots to the body, mixing punches in upstairs, too. (10-9 Mayweather, 70-63 Mayweather)

Mayweather vs. Gotti III; Round 8

The eighth and final round of this exhibition rematch — here we go! Gotti III should just let his hands go at this point. Instead, it’s Mayweather piecing together a combination that goes from the body, upstairs and back to the body. The action briefly is paused due to another rabbit punch warning. Gotti III is letting his hands go but it’s the final 20 seconds. Mayweather is spouting some words to Gotti III’s corner and there’s the final bell. The two men embrace, salute each other’s corners and that’s it. (10-9 Mayweather, 80-72 Mayweather)

Canelo Alvarez is preparing to clash with Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas, and the latter is well-known for his trash talk. At the same time, Berlanga hasn’t held back with his criticism of the Mexican icon.

However, Berlanga hasn’t genuinely gotten under Alvarez’s skin. The future Hall-of-Famer named the former opponent who most of all irked him, and it was Billy Joe Saunders. Premier Boxing Champions posted the clip for an interview with Alvarez, and he explained the bad blood between him and Saunders.

Here is a look at the clip:

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“That f*****, pissed me off,” Alvarez said. “That’s why he get what he deserved.”

Alvarez scored an eighth-round TKO victory over Saunders when the latter couldn’t answer the bell for the ninth round during their May 2021 unification clash. Alvarez came into the fight as the WBC super middleweight champion and took Saunders’ WBO title in the win.

Alvarez would capture the IBF crown by defeating Caleb Plant six months later. “Some fighters they talk to sell the fight or themselves, but him, I think he’s a bad person and I really enjoy beating that guy,” Alvarez said. The two men had a memorable and seemingly personal faceoff during the pre-fight buildup.

Saunders may have been trying to sell the fight and himself, but in Alvarez’s eyes, things went a little too far. Alvarez appeared to take great pleasure in torturing Saunders throughout the eight rounds. Saunders took such a beating, suffering a fractured orbital bone, that he hasn’t fought since.

Saunders hasn’t officially retired, but with more than three years since his last fight, it seems he might be done competing as a professional boxer. Alvarez has fought six times since the meeting with Saunders, going 5-1.

His only loss came via unanimous decision vs. Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. The fight with Berlanga is the next chapter of the Mexican-Puerto Rican boxing rivalry.

Despite Alvarez being a clear favorite, the event still figures to draw a crowd because of Alvarez’s star power and the fight’s cultural connections.

Here is a look at the entire card for the Sept. 14 event:

  • (c) Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga – WBO and WBC super middleweight championship
  • Erislandy Lara vs. Danny Garcia
  • Caleb Plant vs Trevor McCumby
  • Stephen Fulton vs Carlos Castro
  • Rolando Romero vs Manuel Jaimes

It will be a busy night in combat sports and Las Vegas. The UFC and Riyadh Season will present Noche UFC at the Sphere on the same evening. It is being advertised as the most amazing live sporting event ever.

Wladimir Klitschko has picked Anthony Joshua to beat Tyson Fury. 

The Ukrainian has faced both boxers and came up short in those flights. Fury shocked the world to unify the heavyweight division when he outboxed Klitschko to a unanimous decision win in Germany. The rematch never happened, as  Klitschko later faced Joshua. The Ukrainian dropped Joshua and almost stopped him. However, Joshua recovered to secure a late stoppage.

Since then, Joshua and Fury have gone in different directions. Fury became the WBC Heavyweight Champion after beating Deontay Wilder. Joshua lost his belts after consecutive losses to Usyk. However, the Brit has bounced with wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou as he now boxes Daniel Dubois for the IBF belt on September 21.

Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko announcement being held off until Tyson  Fury's future resolved - Mirror Online

 

JUST IN: Mayweather Jr vs Gotti III Fight Card: What will be the most important fights this Saturday?

Fury suffered the first loss of his career against Usyk in his last fight as the Ukrainian became undisputed. They will rematch on December 21. If Joshua and Fury win their next fights, it sets up an undisputed British fight.  Klitschko felt Joshua would come out with a win.

“Hands down Joshua. He is getting to be the complete fighter. Technically, size-wise, weight-wise, power-wise. And he is a good learner. The other guy [Fury], like a fart in the wind it is there and it is gone. In the history of boxing there are a lot of examples of this kind of guy.

“They can be successful for a time but are not disciplined enough to continue to be successful. I

wish Tyson well but I think there is a lack of discipline there, and discipline is more important than motivation. Drawing from my experience I would say it is going to be very difficult for Tyson because there’s that lack of discipline,” Klitschko said

The difference in discipline was shown by how Joshua and Fury reacted to their respective losses to Usyk. Joshua would change trainer, going to Derrick James and then Ben Davidson as he remained undefeated since then. However, Fury was pictured getting thrown out of a bar in his hometown after being drunk. Fury also struggled to accept the loss. He felt Usyk only got the decision due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Gypsy King also said he rewatched the fight and still felt he won, labelling Usyk as an amateur boxer. Fury’s previous struggles with mental health concerns are also something to keep an eye on. The drunken incident raised concerns that he may have been going through a tough period. While the Gypsy King appears in better spirits now, his brother Shane Fury has said he wants to see Fury retire after the Usyk fight regardless of the result. That would rule out a Joshua fight. But Fury has the motivation to come back from the loss for the first time.

“Counting down the days until I can get my redemption on Usyk. December the 21st is going to be my time. I’ve done everything in boxing, but I ain’t come back from a loss. And I relish it, the chance to come back and redeem myself. Get up! December 21st is all me. Undisputed here we come,” Fury stated

The exhibition fight between Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III, set to take place in Mexico City, has generated significant interest among boxing fans.

Despite being an exhibition match and not counting towards the official records of either fighter, there is high anticipation to see these two boxers, who had a controversial bout just over a year ago.

In June 2023, Mayweather and Gotti III fought, but the referee, Kenny Bayless, stopped the fight in the sixth round after repeatedly warning both fighters about the abusive language they were using in the ring.

John Gotti III demands rematch with Floyd Mayweather in New York: I'll  fight like a dog | Marca

READ: ‘Don’t Become The New Canelo’: Former World Champion Urges Gervonta Davis to “Fight The Best”

The stoppage of the fight was not only surprising but also caused major frustration among the fans in attendance, resulting in a significant commotion in the stands.

For this event, the former multi-world champion and the former Mixed Martial Arts fighter will need to display better behavior in the ring and put on a show worthy of the attention this fight has garnered.

The fight will take place this Saturday, August 24, at Arena Ciudad de México, marking Mayweather’s first appearance in the neighboring southern country.

Throughout his professional boxing career, Mayweather has defeated several of Mexico’s top fighters, including Juan Manuel Márquez and Canelo Álvarez.

The bout between Mayweather and Gotti III is the main event of a series of fights taking place throughout the night, which will also feature other matches with notable Mexican boxers to add more interest to the card.

Here are the fights leading up to the main event at Arena Ciudad de México on Saturday, August 24, 2024:

  • Victor Ortiz vs. Rodrigo Damian Coria; Exhibition
  • Alan David Picasso vs. Azat Hovhannisyan; Super Bantamweight
  • Luis Rodriguez vs. Cesar Vaca; Super Middleweight
  • Aaron Silva vs. Alfonso Flores; Super Middleweight
  • Silvia Torres vs. Cecilia Rodriguez; Women’s Minimum Flyweight

Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez is an accomplished champion but one legend of the sport hopes that Gervonta Davis does things differently in the remainder of his career.

Baltimore banger Davis has held the WBA lightweight title since 2023 and before that was the regular title holder from 2019. He has also held the IBF and WBA super featherweight world titles and the WBA Regular Super-Lightweight, belt but has been rather inactive in the last couple of years.

He has fought just twice, once against Ryan Garcia last April and again against Frank Martin in July, winning both by stoppage.

"I ADMIRE CANELO" GERVONTA DAVIS TALKS ABOUT THE RESPECT HE HAS FOR CANELO  ALVAREZ'S SKILLS

JUST IN: [VIDEO] ‘I FEEL LIKE I’M THE BEST IN THIS DIVISION’: VERGIL ORTIZ READY FOR TERENCE CRAWFORD

The other main man in the lightweight division right now is Shakur Stevenson, the WBC champion who many want to see fight ‘Tank’.

However, he has just announced that he will instead defend his title against Joe Cordina on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol versus Artur Beterbiev on October 12.

This has upset former champion turned pundit Paulie Malignaggi, who told Pro Box TV that he doesn’t understand why Davis and Stevenson haven’t pushed for a unification fight and compares it to Canelo who, in his view, is too picky with his opponents.

“I hope Davis doesn’t become the new Canelo. I hope that he goes and makes this fight, we want to see the best fight the best, the champions fight one another. This is what we have in the lightweight division. In the Canelo situation he has all the belts so the avoidance of the top contenders is extra annoying in that case. But in this situation, we could have champion versus champion and it’s bona fide the best in the division. Cordina is solid but he’s coming off a loss.”

Davis is slated for a November return with an opponent yet to be announced.

Vergil Ortiz Jr says his victory over Serhii Bohachuk has given him the belief that he is the best fighter in the super-welterweight division and that he welcomes the opportunity to fight Terence Crawford.

Ortiz (22-0-0 21 KO) defeated Bohachuk (24-2-0 23 KO) earlier this month in Las Vegas via a contentious split decision following a thrilling Fight of the Year contender. The win, which Ortiz secured despite two knockdowns, saw the Texan claim the Ukrainian’s WBC interim belt to put him in contention for his first world title shot.

It was also the first time Ortiz had been taken the distance, and by winning the championship rounds that proved vital to the result, the 26-year-old said he gained a huge amount of experience about his skill and endurance.

READ; Floyd Mayweather “Living a GTA Life” as the Boxing Legend Pulls up in Mexico with a ‘Bulletproof Tank’

“It really boosts my confidence because I know I can be in that type of fight,” Ortiz said in an interview with BoxingScene. “I’m not always going to be in that kind of fight … but this shows I’m always going to have it the energy to do what I need to do, and it can be there in the 12th round.

“I already knew I could go 12 rounds. Everyone else had those doubts in their mind: ‘What happens when he goes 12 rounds? Is he going to look great?’ I saw people saying I’d get stopped, that he was going to be too much for me, that I was going to gas out. It was almost fun in there for me because I went those 12 rounds very easily and I still had a lot of energy. I could’ve gone 12 more.”

Ortiz could now be set for the biggest fight of his career against pound-for-pound star and recently-crowned WBA champion Crawford. Saudi Arabian boxing boss Turki Alalshikh agreed on the live broadcast ahead of Ortiz’s fight with Bohachuk that he would make the Crawford fight if he won. Earlier this week, Alalshikh revealed an offer has gone out to Crawford, but believes the Nebraskan “only wants Canelo” Alvarez.

“I’m more than confident I can beat everyone in the division. I feel like I’m the best in this division,” Ortiz said. “I just need the fights to show that. I’m willing to fight anyone.

“I’ve never turned a fight down. The WBO president said I did. I never turned any fight down. If they want to bring the fight with Crawford now, I would love that fight. He’s arguably the world’s (best) pound-for-pound (fighter). That’s a great fight to make.”

 

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the bout appears to be Crawford’s apparent interest in only fighting Canelo next. The wider fascination in the mega-fight has cooled since Crawford’s victory over Israil Madrimov on August 3, which might have made him a four-weight world champion but also demonstrated that his power has not fully carried to the 154lbs division.

Climbing higher to super-middleweight to challenge unified champion Canelo – known for his power and granite chin – therefore seems a step too far in the eyes of most observers.

“(Crawford) genuinely has that big super-fight in mind and I can’t say I’m bigger than Canelo Alvarez with a straight face, for sure,” Ortiz said. “I see why Crawford wants that fight. But a fight with me is more realistic.

“I really don’t know what to think. It’s a massive jump. He wants to test himself just like I do, but … Crawford just moved up from 147. And he wants to fight Canelo at 168 … I’m not saying Crawford doesn’t have the skills to do it, but as far as me wanting to challenge Crawford, (him) wanting to challenge Canelo is a bit more unrealistic.”

Newly-crowned IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois is set for a salivating acid test against Anthony Joshua next month, as he seeks to prove to both himself and the rest of the world that he is worthy of sitting upon the heavyweight throne.

Ahead of the bout, former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew has offered his verdict on how the contest will play out and his prediction may surprise a few.

Dubois bounced back from a stoppage defeat to Oleksandr Usyk with a career-best final-round knockout win against Jarrell Miller – answering any doubts surrounding his grit and heart with a phenomenal response when it was needed most.

🚨 Tony Bellew makes emphatic Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois prediction

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Following that victory, a confident Dubois continued to impress when he upset the odds to halt heavyweight bogeyman Filip Hrgovic back in June, winning the IBF interim title in the process.

That belt was later upgraded to the full world title when Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF strap and ‘Triple D’ now finds himself involved in a salivating domestic dust-up with ‘AJ’, hoping to make a first defence of his world title.

In an interview with Instant Casino, Tony Bellew applauded the efforts and improvement of Dubois, crediting the decision to switch to train under Don Charles as a key reason for his recent success..

“There’s no way of dressing this up – he quit against Joe Joyce and he quit against Oleksandr Usyk as well. There’s no other way of getting around that but the fact that he’s been able to take them losses, take them Ls and come back, it speaks volumes.

“Going to Don Charles helped reset his mentality. So I give Don Charles all the credit in the world and I give Daniel Dubois all the credit in the world.”

However, Bellew was less complimentary when it came to analysing Dubois’ chances against Joshua, explaining why he thinks Joshua will get the job done inside two rounds.

“Daniel must think I don’t like him. I think he’s a lovely kid and I think he’s a vastly improved fighter. The only thing is that everything he’s good at, Anthony Joshua is better. I’ll be amazed if it gets to round three, I’ll be shocked if it gets past three rounds but if it does go past three then Daniel’s durability, endurance and fitness will really test Joshua. Make no mistake, Anthony Joshua is a better athlete, a better boxer, all that. In every department, he’s a little bit better.

“The only thing we are yet to see is, can he endure the punishment Daniel Dubois can? We haven’t seen that because no one’s been able to give that punishment out to Anthony Joshua without receiving something back. Daniel Dubois is going to be there in the firing line, he’s going to be there to be hit and I think Anthony Joshua will show him.”

Joshua-Dubois takes place on September 21st at Wembley Stadium in London, as ‘AJ’ bids to become just the fifth three-time heavyweight champion in the history of the division.

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