Glowing Up Gotti

Large8/23/2024 5:00 PM

What a fucking weird time to be alive, partially because...

Floyd Mayweather Jr is fighting John Gotti III for the second time this weekend... This time in Mexico.

I first started watching Floyd over 20 years ago. It was right before he beat Diego Corrales, and it was his flair for promotion that pulled me in... Before the fight was even announced, Mayweather had stated he wanted to fight Corrales, who was facing jail time for allegedly beating his pregnant wife.

"I want Diego because I'm doing it for all the battered women across America", Mayweather said. "Just like he beat that woman, I'm going to beat him"

Even though Floyd would be brought up on MULTIPLE domestic abuse charges a decade later, that statement made BIG headlines throughout the boxing world and got a ton of eyes on the bout.

Fast forward a couple of months to Fight Night, and Mayweather not only won every round, but he knocked down a formerly undefeated Diego Corrales FIVE TIMES over ten rounds before Corrales' corner did something Diego's pregnant wife couldn't do and threw in the towel to stop the abuse.

JOHN GURZINSKI. Getty Images.

That night Mayweather defended his WBC super featherweight title for the sixth time, but it was the first time Floyd laid claim to boxing's mythical "pound-for-pound" title.

Fast forward again, this time to 2015, and Floyd "retires" with a perfect 49-0 record and more belts than a Gucci store. Take a look at this resume…

WBC super featherweight champion (130 lbs)
WBC lightweight champion (135 lbs)
WBC super lightweight champion (140 lbs)
IBF welterweight champion (147 lbs)
WBC welterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)
WBA (Super) welterweight champion (147 lbs)
WBO welterweight champion (147 lbs)
WBC light middleweight champion (154 lbs) (2×)
WBA (Super) light middleweight champion (154 lbs)
IBO welterweight champion (147 lbs)
IBA welterweight champion (147 lbs)
The Ring lightweight champion (135 lbs)
The Ring welterweight champion (147 lbs) (2×)
The Ring light middleweight champion (154 lbs)

And for your final fast forward, it is now 2024, and this generational talent is fighting John Gotti III (2-0, w/ 1 KO)… Grandson and son of former (now deceased) mob boss John Gotti and (very much alive) John Gotti Jr, respectively and respectfully.

ISAAC ESQUIVEL. Shutterstock Images.

I sat down with Gotti III and his dad last week before this rematch because I was legitimately curious about what they were all about, and to see for myself whether or not this matchup is as lopsided as it looks on paper. I walked away more impressed than I would've guessed. Gotti is a very level-headed young man who seems expertly conditioned for this fight. He's got some punching power, and his corner promised he would not get off to the slow start that doomed their first fight before it was waived off by referee Kenny Bayless prompting a ring invasion by members of each boxer's team, and several fights both in the crowd and backstage.

Larry Marano. Shutterstock Images.

("Now you'se can't leave.")

If Gotti can use his sturdy chin and size advantage to bully Floyd into fighting defensively, I think this kid could go the distance (scheduled for only 8 rounds) with 47-year-old Mayweather… I'm not saying he'll win… I'm just saying he can go the distance. Then, hopefully, John can use that momentum to capture a couple of big purses beating the shit out of influencers going forward… I know Paige VanZandt would probably be DTF…

Giphy Images.

But, as far as Misfits boxing is concerned, my new dream matchup, and something I would pay good money to see, is the Gottis fighting the Pauls…

Giphy Images.

Meanwhile, on the other side of this matchup, Floyd will continue to cash checks without giving a single fuck whether or not these money grabs tarnish his legacy… And I'll continue to pay in hopes that one of these exhibition foes beat him just as he beat various women between 2002 and 2010… Allegedly.