In a highly anticipated showdown, John Gotti III (the grandson of infamous New York mob boss John Gotti) faced off against the legendary boxing icon Floyd Mayweather on June 11.
Although their first meeting ended in chaos with an all-out scrap erupting in and out of the ring, Gotti’s perspective on the incident has since evolved.
Referee Kenny Bayless’ decided to stop the match and disqualify Gotti in the sixth round for repetitive clinching and disregarding orders to break. The young boxer found himself frustrated and agitated.
Angered, Gotti immediately maneuvered past Bayless to continue attacking Mayweather. A full-scale brawl then broke out as members of each side flooded into the ring.
Reacting in the heat of the moment, Gotti publicly labeled Mayweather as his “enemy for life” on social media after the brawl. Now things have been cooler between the two after more than two weeks after the violent incident.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Gotti revealed that Mayweather expressed a desire to address the situation. Gotti initially wanted no part in it, but his father took the initiative and engaged in a conversation with Mayweather.
Gotti said: “He wanted to talk, and I wanted no part of it. I didn’t want to talk to him. My father, however, went to his locker room, and they talked and hashed it out. Listen, there’s no animosity toward Floyd. I said he was my enemy for life out of anger, but he’s not my enemy.”
Gotti acknowledged the professionalism displayed by Mayweather, emphasizing their shared purpose of entertaining and excelling in combat sports. He then expressed deep admiration for Mayweather’s abilities.
“He did his job. His job is to entertain and box, and so is mine. I still have respect for Floyd. Even at 46, you see him in the ring. How great he is. At 46, his reflexes are phenomenal…his speed. Listen, it was a great experience to share the ring with Floyd. It’s a memory I’ll never forget for the rest of my life, that’s for sure.”
Gotti assured that tensions have been diffused between the two parties. His father has been in contact with Mayweather’s team, fostering a sense of resolution and understanding.
Gotti went on to say: “It got diffused. We’re good. We’ve been speaking. My father’s been in touch with their team, and there’s no bad blood here. It’s business. We did what we had to do, and we squash it and move on.”