47-year old Floyd Mayweather Jr is set to return to the ring in an exhibition match against John Gotti III, making it the second time the two may step into the ring following last year’s March 11th match between them which saw a post-fight brawl ensue between the two fighters’ teams. August 24th has been tipped as a possible date for the rematch.
While it is still unclear why Floyd Mayweather Jr is participating in exhibition bouts, with money not suspected to be the reason given Mayweather is known to as the highest-paid boxer in the history of the sport, a rematch with John Gotti III―member of the [former] mafia Gotti family―nonetheless seems to be on the cards.
Their first match on March 11th in 2023 saw Mayweather predictably winning the rounds fairly easily before their post-fight conflict took precedent over the actual fight that occurred. However, according to ESPN Mexico’s Salvador Rodriguez, a rematch with retired boxer Victor Ortiz had actually been planned, but it now appears Gotti has been handpicked instead. Ortiz is notably the last fighter that Mayweather knocked out in 2011 before he stopped Conor McGregor approximately six years later.
As is customary of Mayweather’s fights since he officially retired in 2017, the rematch is slated to be an exhibition bout and will therefore not be counted on either fighter’s records. The news was first reported by Fight Hype TV who are known to have an amiable and longstanding connection with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
However, the retired undefeated boxer has yet to officially announce this fight, and neither has Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe indicated the rematch with either Gotti or Ortiz would take place. The reported location of the fight in Mexico further raises questions about the validity of the latest reports, especially considering that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has spent a large portion of his career arguably riling up the Mexican fanbase.
There were also conflicting reports over the past several weeks of Mayweather being detained in Dubai to perhaps suggest the rematch won’t occur at all; reports that Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KO’s) himself seemed to corroborate.
An announcement from the Mayweather camp is expected in the near future to either clarify or confirm the latest reports of Mayweather fighting in Mexico.
