John Gotti III Accuses Floyd Mayweather of Making Their Fight ‘Personal’

It has been over a year since mafioso scion John Gotti III (2-0, 1 KOs) faced the crown prince of boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs) at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. While the fight was stopped in the sixth round with Gotti’s disqualification, the chaotic brawl that followed undoubtedly paved the way for intense bad blood between both fighters. As the duo prepares to settle their differences once again inside the ring on August 24, Gotti opened up about what went wrong with their infamous bout.

Talking to TMZ Sports, Gotti revealed that Mayweather did not shy away from personal attacks during the fight. Moreover, he even called out referee Kenny Bayless for not taking any against the boxing legend.

“He made it personal, I didn’t make it personal. You know he came out from the get-go of that first fight. He was on the verbal attack right away, you know, and Kenny Bayless had no problem with that whatsoever,” Gotti said. “When I started giving it back, it became a problem.”

Notably, Bayless had disqualified Gotti for clinching Mayweather in the sixth-round while also accusing him of not following the rules of the fight. However, this did not end the fight but launched the ring into an uncontrolled abyss of chaos. Both fighters’ teams rushed into the ring, spiraling the boxing match into an all-out brawl. With the memories of the fight behind him, Gotti mentioned that he would not let any personal attack get to his head in their upcoming fight. “If he comes out the way he did the first fight, you know I think I am gonna stay right in the pocket this time, and I’m gonna give it as good as I could take,” he said.

“Rip Floyd’s Head Off”

It looks like Gotti might not have been the only one in his family with a bone to pick with Mayweather. During the interview, he was asked what his grandfather and former Gambino boss would have thought about his fight against Mayweather.

“He would’ve wanted to rip Floyd’s head off, you know, when all that stuff’s going down,” he said without skipping a beat. “I’m fighting to get respect for my name and make a positive, you know, impact on my family, so I’m sure he could appreciate that.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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