This week in Mexico City, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was seen sitting alongside John Gotti III, the grandson of notorious New York mob boss John Gotti, in an audience filled with boxing officials, dignitaries, and fans eager to learn more.
When asked by a reporter about his decision to come out of retirement, Mayweather, 47, smiled and replied, “This is retirement for me.”
Mayweather’s latest exhibition match, now at its eighth stop, is a rematch against Gotti that is set for eight rounds this Saturday night. The boxing icon continues to engage in fights while also reaping financial rewards.
Although Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017 after defeating Conor McGregor in a 10th-round TKO, he has kept his gloves active, participating in seven exhibitions, including one against social media star Logan Paul. His ability to market himself and arrange fights has been just as impressive as his athletic prowess.
John Gotti Jr. explained that it was Mayweather who initially contacted them a few years ago after he learned about Gotti III’s involvement in MMA. According to Gotti Jr., Mayweather proposed a boxing match with Gotti III, motivating it with the spirit of competition. “If you know anything about the Gotti family, you know we’re fighters,” John Gotti Jr. stated, emphasizing their willingness to face any challengers.
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Exhibition Tour rolls on.
In a separate matchup, Cecilia Rodriguez faced Arlenn Sanchez in a light-flyweight contest.
Round 1: Sanchez entered the ring just days after agreeing to the fight, delivering body shots while Rodriguez took advantage of her reach superiority. Score: Rodriguez 10, Sanchez 9.
Round 2: Although Sanchez threw several punches, they lacked power, and she appeared fatigued early on. Rodriguez’s accurate strikes earned her the round. Score: Rodriguez 20, Sanchez 18.
Round 3: Sanchez’s punches seemed ineffective against Rodriguez, who landed numerous clean hits, including uppercuts. Score: Rodriguez 30, Sanchez 27.
Round 4: Sanchez started to show more intensity and landed solid punches while Rodriguez also responded well. Sanchez’s increased activity was notable. Score: Rodriguez 39, Sanchez 37.
Round 5: Continuing her aggression, Sanchez pushed forward but Rodriguez managed to counter efficiently. Score: Rodriguez 48, Sanchez 47.
Round 6: Rodriguez used her reach advantage to deliver effective shots, and Sanchez was warned for hitting behind the head. Score: Rodriguez 58, Sanchez 56.
Round 7: Rodriguez pressed the attack with significant punches while Sanchez remained relentless. Rodriguez landed more effective strikes despite absorbing some hits. Score: Rodriguez 68, Sanchez 65.
Round 8: Sanchez maintained her aggressiveness but was met with powerful counter punches from Rodriguez. Score: Rodriguez 78, Sanchez 74.
Rodriguez secured a unanimous decision victory over Sanchez, who took the fight on short notice. While Sanchez demonstrated resilience, Rodriguez landed more precise shots throughout the match.
The judges scored the fight 78-74, 80-72, and 79-74 in favor of Rodriguez, who improved to 14-1-1, while Sanchez dropped to 5-7-4.
In another bout, Aaron Silva faced Alberto Artiga in a super middleweight match.
Round 1: Artiga entered the ring on just 24 hours’ notice, appearing underprepared as Silva delivered a strong right. Score: Silva 10, Artiga 9.
Round 2: Silva continued to pursue Artiga and delivered a heavy left that nearly dropped his opponent. Score: Silva 20, Artiga 18.
Round 3: Silva quickly overwhelmed Artiga with a rapid series of punches, leading the referee to stop the fight, resulting in a TKO victory for Silva.
Silva defeated Artiga, who had “Pollo” written on his trunks. Despite his courage in taking the fight last minute, he was outmatched.
With this win, Silva improved his record to 15-1, while Artiga fell to 6-14.
The main card for the Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, with the main event expected to start around midnight ET. The location is Mexico City, and the fight can be viewed on DAZN for a PPV price of $49.99, in addition to subscription costs.