John Gotti III – grandson of organized crime icon John Gotti – says there is no further animosity with five division world champion Floyd Mayweather.
Earlier this month in Florida, Mayweather and Gotti collided in an exhibition fight that was showcased on pay-per-view.
The contest was waved off in the sixth round, after referee Kenny Bayless had reached his breaking point with the constant profanity being exchanged during the fight.
Once the bout was officially over, chaos broke out when Gotti attacked Mayweather. The two of them began to exchange punches and their respective teams rushed the ring to create a near-riot situation. There were numerous brawls taking place inside the ring and around the arena.
Since that night, Gotti and Mayweather have talked things out.
“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. 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.”
The goal for the 30-year-old Gotti, 2-0 as a pro boxer, is a rematch with Mayweather.
Their post-fight scuffle made worldwide headlines, which Gotti wants to capitalize on.
“We’re in talks right now, actually, to do something,” Gotti 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.”