Floyd Mayweather has pushed back against reports that he's facing felony charges — but said he welcomes the attention.
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday (June 17), the 49-year-old boxer wrote: "Good press, bad press, facts or fiction... pick your poison. Every headline keeps my name in circulation and everything in motion. I appreciate it all. Keep the press coming!"
Mayweather expanded on the reports in the caption, writing: "Lies and negative news always travel faster than the truth. That’s just the way things work. Unhappy people love bad news. I love stories they think are gonna tear the strongest creature on earth down a BLACK man."
"At the end of the day, my name staying in the media is still my name staying in the media," he continued. "Attention is attention. People keep talking, people keep watching and that attention keeps generating opportunities. I’m focused on what I’ve always been focused on family, generational wealth and staying out of other people business that’s not my own.
Mayweather continued: "So please, keep posting. More Blogs, More Lies... Free Promotion and I gladly welcome Every Line!"
On Monday (June 16), ESPN reported that Mayweather is facing two felony charges in Nevada tied to allegations that he used a bad check to buy a $200,000 Audemars Piguet watch from Las Vegas retailer Gold and Beyond.
Court records cited by the broadcaster said he's been charged with theft of $100,000 or more and passing a check with intent to defraud.
Prosecutors allege he wrote a $200,000 check from a Wells Fargo account on December 31, 2024, despite "insufficient" funds, and knowingly exchanged it for property while aware the check would not be honored.
Marc Cook, an attorney representing Gold and Beyond, told ESPN that his client initially tried to resolve the matter without criminal charges.
"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 told ESPN. "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."
Cook also claimed his client pursued multiple avenues before filing the complaint but "got ignored."
Adrian Lobo, Mayweather’s attorney, issued a statement to the network saying that the boxer had "absolutely no intent to defraud" the retailer and pointed to their alleged lengthy business relationship that predates the incident.
"This matter does not belong in the criminal courts," Lobo said, per ESPN. "And Mr. Mayweather looks forward to being vindicated through the court proceedings."
Mayweather's next court date is scheduled for September 17.
