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Skip Bayless thinks brawl after Floyd Mayweather-John Gotti III fight was 'scripted'

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•06/12/23•

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Photo by Christopher Capozziello | For The Washington Post via Getty Images

Skip Bayless just made a hot take. The sun rose this morning. Which statement is more surprising?

The incident

On Sunday night, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and John Gotti III’s exhibition ended in a brawl. The exhibition was scheduled to last eight two-minutes rounds. However, after Mayweather and Gotti reportedly wouldn’t stop talking trash to one another, the referee called the bout in the sixth round.

Gotti didn’t agree. The 30-year-old man pushed the referee out of the way and began to recklessly throw haymakers at Mayweather. The coaches and associates from both corners spilled into the ring, leading to an ugly scene on the canvas.

Despite punches being thrown and plenty of bruises the next morning, Bayless isn’t buying it.

“I say scripted, I say staged, I say pre-meditated, I say almost rehearsed,” Bayless said on Monday on FS1’s “Undisputed.” “Floyd’s being paid a whole lot of money to put on a show, and he can’t really put on a show versus John Gotti III.”

Who is John Gotti III?

Bayless’ suspicion does raise a point. Who is Gotti, and how did he get in the ring with such an immense talent? The answer isn’t a surprise to anybody familiar with Mayweather: money.

Gotti is the sixth opponent in a string of lucrative Mayweather exhibition matches, spanning back to 2018 when the 50-0 boxer retired professionally. Other Mayweather exhibitional opponents includes YouTubers Logan Paul and Deji.

While Gotti is not close to Mayweather’s level in the ring, he does have a history in combat sports. Gotti went 5-1 as an amateur mixed martial artist and 5-0 as a professional to begin his career in the fight game.

However, after a brutal loss in his next fight and two bout cancellations, Gotti turned his eyes toward boxing. Being the grandson of notorious New York mobster John Gotti, the young boxer has a name that draws attention. Mayweather saw the opportunity and took it.

The bottom line

Bayless isn’t sure he should have.

“[Gotti] didn’t belong in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. But, Floyd didn’t belong in the ring with him, either,” Bayless said. “At some point, isn’t it beneath Floyd’s dignity, even for $10 million to do this?”

While the purse of the two fighters hasn’t been publicly announced, outsiders can only assume Mayweather is earning a fortune. The 46-year-old retired boxer reportedly earned $35 million for his exhibition against Jake Paul.