The charges stem from the purchase of an Audemars Piguet watch from Gold and Beyond, a Las Vegas-based luxury boutique.

Prosecutors allege that on December 31, 2024, Mayweather wrote a check for $200,000 from a Wells Fargo account. The complaint stated that there were insufficient funds in the account to cover the amount of the check.

The complaint alleges that Mayweather purchased the property “knowing that the check would not be paid upon presentation.”

ESPN reported that prosecutors filed the first complaint on April 27, followed three days later by a court order requiring Mayweather to appear before a judge. On Monday, a lawyer representing Mayweather appeared at the hearing on his behalf.

Marc Cook, a lawyer representing Gold and Beyond, told ESPN that his client initially hoped to resolve the matter privately and avoid filing criminal charges.

“The reason for the delay is because my boy trusted Mayweather and tried to give him every chance to make it right,” Cook said. “It got to the point where he was not receiving any response or money for the watch that Mayweather had had for over a year.”

Cook added that his client attempted to recover the money in several ways before ultimately filing a complaint with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in February.

If Mayweather is convicted, he could face severe penalties. Under Nevada law, a charge of passing a check with intent to defraud carries a potential prison sentence of one to four years, while a theft charge carries a potential sentence of one to 20 years.

Neither Mayweather’s attorney nor the Clark County District Attorney’s Office immediately commented on the allegations, according to ESPN.

The 50-0 boxing legend will face former kickboxing star Mike Zambidis in an exhibition fight on June 27 in Athens, Greece. ESPN reported that a source close to Mayweather expects the event to go ahead as planned and indicated that Mayweather still retains his passport despite separate tax issues involving the Internal Revenue Service.

The criminal case adds to a growing list of legal issues involving Mayweather. ESPN noted that the IRS has filed tax liens for more than $7.2 million in unpaid taxes for 2018 and 2023. Mayweather is also involved in several civil disputes, including lawsuits he filed earlier this year against Showtime and former business associates seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Mayweather has not entered a plea in the Nevada case, and the allegations in the criminal complaint have not yet been considered in court.

At just 19 years aged, fresh-faced Ryan Garner put forward his dream of fighting at St Mary’s Stadium, home of Southampton Football Club.

At the time, it must have sounded like little more than fantasy, something a juvenile candidate might say to attract media attention.

But for Garner, it was a dream he had imagined thousands of times, knowing that one day he would have an opportunity of this magnitude.

No one was able to convince him or his coach Wayne Batten that this dream would not become a reality, and although there were no shortage of bumps in the road, now both are preparing for an opportunity they have long been working towards.

In an interview with Boxing News, Garner did not try to hide his delight ahead of the fight for the “interim” WBC super featherweight title with Michael Magnesi, which will take place on June 20 in St Mary’s.

“In 2017, I gave my first interview here [at St Mary’s] with Trans World Sport. And here we are now.

“We’ve been manifesting this for years, so for it to actually happen is just a dream come true.

“I can’t wait, I hope to make history and become Southampton’s first ever world champion. I know it’s an interim title, but ultimately it’s still a world title.”

While promoting his fight with Magnesi, Garner revealed some glimpses of his soccer skills.

He is undoubtedly a talented athlete and it seems that only his boxing predispositions have stopped him from becoming a stylish winger for St Mary’s.

“When I was younger, I wasn’t that bad at football – I admit that – but of course I was better at fighting.

“I started as a striker, then moved to central midfielder and ended up on the right wing.”

Having played for Southampton’s academy from U7 to U10, it quickly became clear that Garner was most effective with his punches.

Now the 28-year-old has probably reached his sporting peak and wants to become the main contender for O’Shaquie Foster’s WBC belt.

Many believed that at least Magnesi represented a solid opponent WBA champion Anthony Cacace was the most likely dance partner, especially after Garner appeared on his card in March.

However, there was a clear lack of willingness on Cacace’s part, as he would rather cement his legacy with a potential unification showdown later this year.

“I don’t blame him. He’s getting older and the end of his career is approaching, so he wants to unite the team and win more titles.

“I spoke to him in Ireland and he seems like a nice guy. At the end of the day, we’re just fighting for our families.

“It didn’t matter who the opponent was – I always dreamed of fighting here [at St Mary’s]”

Magnesi is probably best known for giving a good account of himself in his match against Cacaca, which led to his split decision loss in 2022.

However, from Garner’s perspective, there is no reason to change the approach that has earned him an impressive 19-0 (10 KO) record.

“I’ve always been mentally powerful. Nothing really worries me, nothing really scares me. I don’t look at my opponents. I just go in there and do my best.”

Time will tell if that will be enough to defeat Magnesi, but either way Garner expects to have 15,000 to 20,000 fans screaming his name.

Author: Sean Crose

Don’t be fooled by this. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez was seen as the future of boxing. Although he had already won world titles in two weight classes, his WBA bantamweight title fight on Saturday night against defending champion Antonio Vargas was expected to be the next rung on the ladder to the top of the sport. Correct. Rodriguez stepped into the ring in Arizona on Saturday night and was hailed as boxing’s next substantial star. Could it become the elusive “household name”? If so, he would likely be the first fighter to do so since Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Naturally, Vargas saw it as his mission to crash the party. After all, he was the defending champion and felt he had a lot to prove. He may not have been very celebrated, but Vargas was certainly determined. He also had a set of skills that made him noteworthy. But were they noteworthy for players like Rodriguez? The answer was most likely deemed to be no. However, it is worth mentioning that Vargas did not have to face Rodriguez. The choice was his. However, the truth about who owned the night was revealed with the sound of the opening bell.

It became clear very early on that Vargas was certainly capable of challenging the celebrated Rodriguez. In fact, he gave Rodriguez a lot of trouble. By the end of the first quarter of the fight, it seemed that Vargas, not Rodriguez, was in charge. However, it ended in the 5th set when Rodriguez knocked down Vargas with a wonderful shot. Vargas, however, not only defeated the count, but also performed well for the remainder of the round. However, the end of the fight came faster than Vargas wanted. In the sixth set, Rodriguez’s explosive shot knocked down the defending champion and eliminated him from the game. Now it was Rodriguez who held the WBA bantamweight title.

“He was a lot tougher than I expected,” Rodriguez said immediately after the fight. “Luckily, I was able to get him out of there in the 6th.” As for the explosive knockout that ended the fight, Rodriguez was clear about it. “I’m not looking for a punch,” he said. “It just comes.” Indeed, it was this type of confidence that led this man to win the fight as much as his thunderous power.

At this point, everyone expects Rodriguez to face the great Naoya Inoue. This would be a great fight, but it’s worth wondering if Rodriguez would be able to beat the Japanese fighter at this point. Vargas proved to be a challenging opponent. How much tougher can Inoue get? On the other hand, boxing is about challenging yourself, rising to the occasion and overcoming adversity. If Rodriguez decides to go down this route against the likes of Inoue, the man deserves nothing but praise. Things could get captivating soon. Then again, this is boxing, so you never know.

A fight between Rodriguez and Inoue would be exhilarating for fans, but boxing is largely governed by politics, not fan opinion. If this were not the case, there would be many more fights between fighters that the public would want to see. Of course, the time shift between the match against Vargas and Inoue could be beneficial for Rodriguez. Again, he didn’t look like he could easily beat Inoue, if at all on Saturday. After all, they don’t call Inoue “The Monster” for nothing. Then again, they don’t call Rodriguez “Bam” for nothing.