Floyd Mayweather, long known for his wealth and the nickname “Money,” is facing fresh questions about his finances and his future in the ring. Reports in the United States say the boxing star, who earned more than $1 billion from fights alone, is now under criminal scrutiny over bounced checks totaling about $200,000 that he allegedly gave for a luxury watch purchase. He has been accused of theft of more than $100,000 and of issuing a bad check with intent to defraud the seller.
Mayweather’s lawyer said the incident was isolated and not an attempt to cheat anyone. “He had no intention of deceiving the seller, and he even did further business with that same seller after the transaction,” the attorney said, calling it a one-time mistake and arguing that turning it into a criminal case was unnecessary.
The legal troubles do not end there. CSI, the production company that signed Mayweather to a deal for two major promoted fights, is suing him for $6.65 million. The company says he backed out after signing contracts for bouts with Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao. According to CSI, Mayweather already received an advance of more than $4.5 million, then announced another fight in the near future, which the company says violated its agreement.
CSI says it was promised exclusivity for his next two fights. As of now, Mayweather’s financial picture remains unclear, and so does the status of his next bouts. Netflix, which was set to broadcast the event, has not announced any cancellation of the Pacquiao fight, while the match Mayweather himself announced, against Mike Zambidis in Greece, is also in doubt.
