The first time legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather faced John Gotti III in an exhibition, a riot broke out when the referee stopped the fight too early. Last night, in a rematch of their June 2023 encounter, Mayweather fired the referee for making a bad call.
While Mayweather and Gotti III are an odd couple as combatants in the ring, they are a match made in heaven when it comes to craziness and controversy. Ultimately, that’s why the pair were able to make a sequel to an unwanted original.
This is an exhibition between a 47-year-old boxer who has as much ring knowledge as any active professional and the grandson of a former mob boss. With a pairing like that, it’s no wonder things get out of hand.
Mayweather eventually won by unanimous decision in eight rounds, hopefully putting an end to this ugly debacle. However, it is not the result that is being talked about, but what happened with one minute left in the second round, when Mayweather insisted that the referee be replaced.
The Jugo Mobile investigates another controversial moment in the Mayweather-Gotti saga.
Why did Floyd Mayweather fire the referee?
Two minutes into the second round, Mayweather landed one of his signature punches: a right hook that caught him in the ear. It’s a unique and effective punch that the Grand Rapids native has been doing all along.
As he landed, the referee stepped in and stopped Mayweather for hitting a rabbit. Horrified at being questioned, the former champion immediately lost his cool and told the referee to get out of his way. Gotti III was taken to his corner by his team and Mayweather continued his rant until the referee was replaced.
Was it a rabbit punch? Never in a million years.
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What is a rabbit punch?
The rabbit punch is a punch to the back of the head that is illegal in boxing. It can cause spinal cord injuries and is extremely dangerous.
Can a boxer fire a referee?
Referees can be replaced. One recalls acclaimed referee Ruby Goldstein succumbing to heat exhaustion during the 10-minute match.He round of the Joey Maxim-Sugar Ray Robinson fight in 1952. Three rounds later, the New York sun would technically knock out Robinson, who could barely stand due to fatigue and dehydration.
However, referees are replaced out of necessity because circumstances demand it. Last night, a fighter insisted that the referee be replaced because he was unhappy with a decision that went against him. This may be unprecedented.
The difference is that Maxim vs. Robinson was a world light heavyweight championship fight that was conducted under the direction of the New York State Athletic Commission.
By contrast, Mayweather-Gotti III was a spectacle to have fun and make money, so the rules are made up on the fly. In a professional fight, a boxer would have no authority to replace a referee.
