Mayweather Jr. to face some tough questions in seeking boxing license

It's a process that under normal circumstances takes about a minute. But Floyd Mayweather Jr. can expect to spend longer than 60 seconds when he appears before the Nevada Athletic Commission today in seeking his boxing license.

The WBC welterweight champion is the final action item on the agenda at today's 9 a.m. commission meeting at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building. Mayweather hopes to be approved so he can fight May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden.

"The Nevada commission is fair but firm," Mayweather said Tuesday after making a $50,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas. "The commission has always treated me fairly, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak to them and be allowed to fight in Las Vegas."

As of late Tuesday, no opponent had been named and the five-member commission will want to know who Mayweather plans to fight before it considers granting him a license.

"They may discuss his plans to fight May 5 and everything surrounding it," NAC executive director Keith Kizer said. "The commission can ask anything that's relevant to the licensing process."

NAC chairman Skip Avansino said: "Everything is on the table as it pertains to his application."

In Mayweather's case, that will include his recent legal troubles that landed him a 90-day jail sentence at the Clark County Detention Center, which was to begin Jan. 6 but was postponed until June 1 after Mayweather's attorneys convinced Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa that Mayweather had a fight scheduled May 5.

Saragosa, who had sentenced Mayweather to six months in jail after he pleaded no contest to domestic battery charges, commuted half the sentence. But Mayweather still was obligated to serve the other 90 days. He technically is scheduled to serve 87 days and could see that number reduced if he stays out of trouble while in jail.

Applicants are obligated to make full disclosure of any arrests, convictions and time served on their license application.

Mayweather (42-0, 26 knockouts) last fought Sept. 17, when he scored a controversial fourth-round knockout of Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden. Mayweather was deliberately head-butted by Ortiz earlier in the round, and after referee Joe Cortez temporarily stopped the fight to have a point deducted from Ortiz for the foul, the fight resumed with Mayweather decking Ortiz with a combination to the head.

Ortiz claimed he wasn't ready to resume and that Cortez did not properly restart the action. But the NAC backed Cortez's handling of the resumption of the fight. However, it's possible one or more members of the commission might bring up how the Ortiz fight ended during their questioning.

Mayweather is expected to be accompanied to today's meeting by his attorneys, Richard Wright and Karen Winkler; his co-manager, Leonard Ellerbe; and Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer for Golden Boy Promotions.

Golden Boy has worked with Mayweather in his past five fights and is helping to secure an opponent for May 5.

"We want to make sure we hear from the applicant," Avansino said. "After we hear from Mr. Mayweather, anyone associated with him will be welcome to speak. But this is not a court, and we're not going to engage in a debate with lawyers. We're here to determine whether or not the applicant is qualified to be licensed to fight in Nevada."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.