12 June 2023 , 06:10
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John Gotti III has declared that Floyd Mayweather is now an "enemy for life" after the pair's exhibition bout descended into chaos in Florida last night.
The pair met in an un-scored bout that wouldn't appear on either of their undefeated professional records at the FLA Live Arena, but there was an heated air to proceedings from the bell. Gotti had been offended by a joke Mayweather made during their weigh-in, and the boxer appeared to be going for the stoppage early as he pushed the pace.
But midway through the sixth round, the MMA fighter who comes from one of America's most famous crime families, was disqualified by referee Kenny Bayliss after holding and trash talking incessantly. This angered the New Yorker, who continued throwing punches, eventually inciting a brawl in and out of the ring.
And in a series of rare social media posts, Gotti has told Mayweather that the pair are "enemies for life". "Punk b****," he said while tagging Mayweather in footage from the melee. "You my enemy for life. [ Conor McGregor ], we need back up. Bum never put me down or stopped me it was a DQ for no reason."
Gotti III's father and grandfather, both also named John Gotti, were leaders of the infamous Gambino crime families in New York. His dad was in attendance for fight week, and was spotted being ushered backstage after the bout from his position at ringside amid a chaotic scene.
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The melee saw a number of fights break out throughout the crowd and backstage, but the extent of injuries suffered is unknown at this time. Mayweather appeared unbothered by the carnage, unlike Gotti, whose father John II was brought backstage shortly after the incident.
Chaos was brought from the ring into the crowd where punches could be seen being thrown between fans and spilled over backstage, with a number of fighters and musicians caught amongst the action. The arena was cleared out by police, who threatened charges for anybody who did not leave immediately.