'He's 100 per cent right'… Joe Rogan defends Floyd Mayweather after boxing legend 'fires referee' midway through exhibition fight
09/03/2024 11:31 AM
Joe Rogan has come to the defence of Floyd Mayweather after the boxing legend controversially ‘fired’ the referee of his recent exhibition bout.
The multiple-weight world champion was midway through the second round of his rematch with John Gotti III last month when the referee made a call he disagreed with. He ultimately made the on the spot decision to have a new official step in, essentially ‘firing’ the referee.
But UFC commentator and comedian Rogan feels that Mayweather was right to be annoyed with the initial referee’s call. And he found the funny side in the boxing icon flexing his privileges during an exhibition fight.
- Who is Floyd Mayweather?Meet one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time
Floyd Mayweather swaps out referee after ‘firing’ one during a fight
The recent Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III exhibition was a rematch after their initial bout ended in a controversial disqualification that sparked a mass brawl last summer. The pair traveled to Mexico this time, with the boxing icon bringing along his usual team.
After a dominant first round, it seemed to be business as usual until referee Hector Afu of Panama stopped Mayweather for throwing what he deemed to be an illegal shot behind the head of his opponent. This enraged Mayweather, who got into an heated argument with the official.
Ultimately, the boxer made the call on the spot to have the referee changed, with Mexican official Alfredo Uruzquieta stepping in. Fans on social media immediately caught the incident, calling it Mayweather ‘firing’ the referee.
Joe Rogan defends Floyd Mayweather after ‘firing’ referee
One keen viewer of the exhibition was podcaster Joe Rogan, who felt that the punch was a legal one. He welcomed neuroscientist Andrew Huberman on to his podcast last week, where he discussed the incident.
“The first referee was terrible,” Rogan explained. “The referee called Floyd Mayweather for hitting behind the head, absolutely incorrect call. Floyd threw a right hand and it caught him on the side of the head and the referee claimed that it was behind the head.
“So Floyd fired the referee in the middle of the bout. He stops the bout and he’s like ‘get the f*** out of here!'” When Huberman noted that he was also the event’s promoter, Rogan replied: “Well, I guess, but it’s Floyd Mayweather so what’s the referee going to do, stop the fight?
“Also, they’re in Mexico City, you can get killed, so just get out of the ring buddy. Floyd was 100 per cent correct, the punch landed to the side of the head. It’s a right hook, it’s a perfect punch and the referee says ‘watch the back of the head’.
“Floyd is like ‘what the f*** are you talking about?’ That wasn’t the back of the head, so he kicks the guy out and they finished the fight… It was an exhibition, it’s kind of a bulls*** money grab, honestly.
“If anybody is qualified to say get the f*** out of here it’s Floyd Mayweather. He’s the best boxer of all time. That referee made a giant, stupid error and he’s like ‘get out of here’ and he’s right, no one thinks it’s a bad punch… It’s just a perfect right hook.”
Floyd Mayweather pours cold water on Julio Cesar Chavez exhibition
After his fight in Mexico, which went without a score, Mayweather was greeted in the ring by Julio Cesar Chavez. The legendary boxer, who is 62-years-old, appears keen to take on one of these exhibition challenges.
But Mayweather wasn’t so sure, going back on previous teases by saying on the broadcast after the fight: “He's older now and if I do an exhibition with him, it's not going to look good on me.
“He paved the way for me and he does so much for the sport of boxing and for all the young Mexican fighters after him. This is one of the guys who paved the way, he's one of the best fighters of all time."
- Who is Joe Rogan?Get to know the UFC mainstay and podcast sensation
