Despite officially retiring in 2017 after the extraordinarily lucrative yet sportingly lackluster fight against Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has never stopped stepping into the ring. The Grand Rapids superstar has been involved in several exhibition fights in the years following his retirement.
The latest show took place just over a week ago in Mexico City, where Floyd fought eight rounds against John Gotti III, a not particularly memorable event whose main twist was the “firing” of the referee carried out by Mayweather during the match. The former world champion incredibly requested and obtained the replacement of the referee after a call he did not like.
These exhibitions divide fans and experts, with some enjoying seeing the former P4P king in action again, while others consider them degrading spectacles. Among the latter is Oscar De La Hoya, a former ring rival of Mayweather, who was defeated by him in a Split Decision in 2007. DLH released a video on social media where he addresses the issue, starting with the following words:
“Floyd Mayweather fought another exhibition against Gotti last Saturday. A real shit show that had the crowd booing in the arena at the end. But in the middle of the second round, Floyd really had the referee swapped out? Floyd did it because the referee told him to stop hitting behind the head; Floyd is used to having the ref do whatever he wants; he wasn’t getting his way this time. It was so embarrassing.”
De La Hoya then directly addressed Mayweather:
“Floyd, you’re 50 years old, you’re a legend in the sport. I’ve stood up for you in countless interviews… but you have to stop embarrassing yourself in these exhibitions. I know life is hard, I know life is expensive, but come on, dude – put your legacy first.”
DLH also referenced recent rumors that Mayweather’s wealth has significantly dwindled and that he has even been sued by a Miami jeweler:
“Nobody wants to remember you like this. It gets worse – your jeweller filed a lawsuit against you in Miami and many are saying you’re going to have to sell off your assets. I hate seeing this happen, bro. As I’ve always said, it’s hard to make money but it’s even harder to keep it. Floyd, I’m rooting for you. Come on, let’s turn it around.”
It’s worth noting that Oscar De La Hoya himself accepted to fight in an exhibition match against former MMA fighter Vitor Belfort in 2021 but had to withdraw due to contracting Covid. His place was taken by Evander Holyfield, who was brutally knocked out in the first round of the fight. Oscar later stated that he regretted that decision and was glad he didn’t step into the ring that night, saying he had “dodged a bullet.”