John Gotti now acknowledges that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is no longer his enemy, yet he admits he still harbors a desire to deliver a punch to Mayweather's face.
In a recent exhibition boxing match between Gotti and Mayweather, the event spiraled into disorder when the fight was halted due to unsportsmanlike behavior, leading to both fighters' entourages storming the ring. Following the chaotic aftermath, Gotti initially declared Mayweather as his "enemy for life." However, after allowing some time to pass and emotions to subside, the 30-year-old fighter stated that he and Mayweather have resolved their differences. Despite this, Gotti's lingering wish to land a punch on Mayweather remains.
“He wanted to talk, and I wanted no part of it,” Gotti told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “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.
“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. ...
“It got diffused,” Gotti continued. “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.”
And that business could continue. The brawl turned the unheralded Mayweather exhibition event into headline news, and Gotti III said they are already in negotiation to run things back.
COMPLETE CHAOS at the Floyd Mayweather vs John Gotti III fight 😳 pic.twitter.com/FML12NOO5e
— Overtime (@overtime) June 12, 2023
“We’re in talks right now, actually, to do something,” he said. “So we’ll see where it goes. From what I understood, after the fight, it was the most Googled thing in the whole world.
“Floyd’s a businessman. Floyd wants to capitalize on that. He wants to make money. So if they want to do it again, I’m here, and I promise you this time, I’m going to come out guns blazing as soon as that bell rings, and we’re going to fight now.”
Gotti III expresses a strong belief that a rematch is highly likely to materialize, and they are actively exploring options for an October timeframe. However, this timeline may conflict with Gotti III's six-month suspension imposed by the Florida commission due to the previous incident. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that his team will successfully appeal the suspension and have it lifted.
Should all the pieces fall into place, Gotti III and Mayweather will once again come face to face in the near future. Despite Gotti III's previous statements about resolving their differences, there still appears to be lingering resentment as he approaches a potential rematch.
“Now I’m going into the next fight, and it’s personal,” he said. “Now we’re going to fight, and I’m going to take it to him every second of the round. Going into the first fight, I did have that admiration for Floyd and that love and respect. It’s different now. When you cross certain lines with the talking, now it becomes personal for me. Floyd didn’t have to go there. Neither did I. ... It became personal for both of us. Now, it’s war between me and Floyd.”