27 April 2023 , 12:40
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Legendary boxing champion Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring for his latest exhibition bout on June 11 when he faces the grandson of notorious New York mob boss John Gotti.
Mayweather and Gotti will go head-to-head for the first time tonight at a press conference to launch the show, with the 50-0 legend giving up a considerable size difference to his rival, who last tipped the scales over 175lb in January. The pair will fight in Sunrise, Florida in the first American exhibition for Mayweather since his 2021 bout with Logan Paul.
Gotti III started his fighting career in the MMA world, where he went 5-1 as a professional before moving into the ring for a couple of light-heavyweight fights. He is 2-0 as a professional boxer, but it's his name value that has led to him receiving offers including negotiations with PFL and now this exhibition against one of boxing's greatest ever.
He comes from one of the most infamous crime families in history, with his granddad John running the Gambino family after he helped to orchestrate the murder of their boss Paul Castellano in December of 1985. Under Gotti's leadership the family was described as America's most powerful crime syndicate.
The fighter's grandfather was surprisingly popular with the public thanks in part to his style and outspoken nature, with newspapers branding him one of either the Teflon Don or Dapper Don. He was one of the most dangerous crime bosses in the United States at the height of his powers, with many fearing the Gambino family.
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He allegedly earned between $5–20 million per year as Gambino boss, and was acquitted of a number of crimes in high-profile cases that were later proven to have been tainted by witness intimidation, jury tampering and juror misconduct. However, he ended up spending the end of his life in prison after his 1992 conviction.
His son, Gotti III's father John A Gotti, acted as head of the crime family for eight years after the conviction, and ultimately ended up behind bars himself in 1999. Gotti Jr. has since insisted that he has left the Gambino family, and claims he gave the FBI fake information that led to no indictements.
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It was Gotti III's grandfather who was the most well-noted crime boss, known as a shrewd negotiator and a fascinating character to viewers during his highly-publicised trials. He was famous for winking at the camera and generally showing a lack of interest in the cases that eventually led to his imprisonment.
The fighter's grandfather passed away with throat cancer on June 10, 2002, at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. His son is 59-years-old and Gotti III, who is planning to continue in boxing and MMA after the exhibition bout, is 30-years-old.
Mayweather has been on an exhibition world tour since his 2017 retirement following his win over Conor McGregor, taking bouts in America, the UK, Dubai and Japan. He has been facing opponents of a considerably lower level such as MMA fighters and kickboxers, as well as social media celebrities like Logan Paul, Deji and Aaron Chalmers.