Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: What It Is (And Preview)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs) and John Gotti III (2-0, 1 KO) will fight once again this Saturday.

The two men clash in an eight-round exhibition presented by Mayweather Promotions at the Arena Ciudad de México. Boxing fans around the world can catch all the action on DAZN as a pay-per-view (except in México). Those in México can do so on TV Azteca.

Mayweather and Gotti had previously fought to a no contest in another exhibition that took place in June last year. During the sixth round, referee Kenny Bayless ended proceedings having had enough of the holding and trash-talking between the pair. This led to Gotti charging at Mayweather before an even larger brawl ensued in the ring. According to the Miami Herald, there was more violence elsewhere in the FLA Live Arena during the event. Over a year later, the two men return to fight in yet another exhibition.

Ahead of their August 24, Mayweather and Gotti spoke at a final press conference. Below is some of what they had to say.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III Press Conference Quotes

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I want to say thank you to my team and to the Gottis,” said Mayweather. “Let’s go out there and put on a show. One thing about me is that I’ve heard it all…I’ve been around the world and competed against the best. When you talk about the Olympics, I’ve competed against the best. Whether it was the world champion in the Olympics or the Cubans, I competed against the best…It is always about competing and going up against the best. So, Saturday it is what it is. I’vealready faced the best.”

John Gotti III

“All the preparation is done,” said Gotti. “We did all the work. I’m ready to fight. I’m excited to be here, I’m blessed to be here. As my father had stated, the minute we landed we’ve been embraced with open arms everywhere we’ve been. Restaurants, in the street. All the hardcore, hardworking Mexicans, [they’ve] pledged their loyalty everywhere we’ve been to the Gottis, Team Gotti. That excites me. The time is here, like I said. I’m excited...”

What to Expect

The rules for this contest are similar to the first exhibition between the pair. Mayweather and Gotti will fight eight, two-minute rounds. There will also be no judges officially scoring the bout. The only way either fighter can win is via stoppage. In their previous meeting, Mayweather dominated, virtually the entire fight, coming forward and landing at will. It is likely that he will dominate once again, though Gotti should be able to make it out without getting stopped.

In the end, this is an exhibition bout that will not go on anyone’s professional boxing record. It is highly unlikely to have any bearing on the sport and the matchup itself means very little. However, the undercard has some fights that are of interest. Namely, Alan Picasso (28-0-1, 16 KOs) faces Azat Hovhannisyan (21-4, 17 KOs) in a super bantamweight clash. Highly touted prospect Curmel Moton (4-0, 3 KOs) is also part of the card.

Full Press Conference

For the press conference in its entirety, click here or the play button below. Video courtesy of DAZN Boxing.