Mayweather Promotions gets Nevada promoter's license on 5-0 vote
LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather bucked the system for much of his career in boxing, battling with promoters and attempting to change the status quo in order to favor the boxers.
Now, though, Mayweather is officially a part of the system he fought, when his company, Mayweather Promotions, was granted a promoter's license in Nevada.
Mayweather Promotions was licensed three weeks ago in New York, but the ability to promote in Nevada, his long-time home and the boxing capital of the world, was significant.
Mayweather, who faces Marcos Maidana on Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand in a rematch of their May 3 bout, said he could have been licensed long ago, but wanted to make certain the timing is right.
"We didn't want to rush and we wanted to do it when the time was right," Mayweather said following the quick hearing and 5-0 vote in his favor. "That time is now."
The challenge he'll face once his career over is he won't have a star anywhere near himself in his stable. He'll need to develop fighters, as Top Rank's Bruce Trampler did so ably with him and Oscar De La Hoya in the 1990s, and build fighters into ticket-selling and pay-per-view selling attractions.
Mayweather, who said he would "most likely" also promote mixed martial arts, said he had no concern about his ability to develop stars.
"It takes a talented fighter and a God-gifted fighter," to be a star, Mayweather said. "But the outlets are different now for building a fighter at a high level. Before, it was different with Bob Arum and Don King. This is a new era of promoters and as I've said before, Mayweather Promotions, we are the best and we are the past, the present and the future of sports entertainment."
Mayweather said in order to have a promotion succeed, it has to widen the fan base and reach those who aren't already boxing fans.
That's no secret, and it's easier said than done. Few other fighters have succeeded long term in such a venture, with his rival, De La Hoya, clearly being at the top of those who have made it.
But Mayweather isn't concerned.
"My team has done a marvelous job and I truly believe if we work hand-in-hand as we have been, we'll do record numbers in the future," Mayweather said.
He said he won't get burned out because the company isn't about one man. He said he's an important part, but so are many others and all have roles to fill.
