Court documents obtained by ESPN show that Mayweather has been charged with theft and intent to defraud in connection with the transaction, which reportedly took place in December 2024. The allegations stem from claims that the former world champion paid for the expensive timepiece with a check that could not be honored due to insufficient funds in his account.
According to Nevada court records, Mayweather wrote a $200,000 check to complete the purchase at Gold & Beyond, a high-end luxury retailer in Las Vegas. Authorities allege that when the check was later presented for payment, there was not enough money, property, or available credit in the account to cover the amount.
Prosecutors further claim that Mayweather obtained the watch while allegedly knowing the check would not be paid, forming the basis of the theft charge. Under Nevada law, a conviction for felony theft could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years, although such lengthy sentences are uncommon in similar cases.
The legal dispute reportedly lingered for months before criminal charges were filed. Marc Cook, an attorney representing Gold & Beyond, said the store initially attempted to resolve the matter privately, believing Mayweather would eventually settle the outstanding payment.
“The reason for the delay is that my guy trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that,” Cook said.
He added: “And it got to the point where he wasn’t getting responses and wasn’t getting money for a watch that Mayweather had for well over a year.”
According to Cook, the jewelry store ultimately filed a complaint with Nevada authorities in February after repeated efforts to recover the funds allegedly proved unsuccessful.
Mayweather's legal team has not publicly responded to the charges, and no statement has been issued on his behalf regarding the allegations.
The development comes as another financial issue continues to follow the former boxing superstar. Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars during one of the most lucrative careers in boxing history, Mayweather has also faced tax-related challenges. The Internal Revenue Service is reported to have filed a $7.3 million tax lien against the 49-year-old over unpaid federal taxes.
Widely regarded as one of boxing's greatest defensive fighters, Mayweather retired with a perfect professional record of 50 wins and no losses. His success inside the ring helped him build a fortune through blockbuster pay-per-view events and high-profile fights against some of the sport's biggest names.
The latest allegations, however, place the undefeated champion in the spotlight for reasons far removed from his accomplishments in boxing, as the case moves through the Nevada legal system.