Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Mayweather Promotions was given a promoters license on a unanimous vote by the Nevada State Athletic Commission at Wednesday's monthly commission meeting, just the latest sign that Mayweather intends to make the promotion business his focus once his in-ring career is over.
"We want to get things done the right way and continue to bring big fights to Las Vegas even when my career is over," Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas, told the commission. "We can continue to do record-breaking numbers after I'm gone by doing it the right way."
Mayweather Promotions, which has about a dozen fighters under contract but has relied upon Golden Boy Promotions to co-promote with it in order to use its license, is now free to put on its own shows in three states. It was licensed late last year in Washington for a card it did on its own and it was granted a license in New York on July 14.
"We're very excited as a team. We've taken our time and that's been the most important thing, putting the right pieces in place," Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com following the hearing. "I have a tremendous staff and we have the necessary pieces in places to be very successful."
Ellerbe said he is looking at putting on a small show in Las Vegas in mid-September in the days before Mayweather Promotions will co-promote Mayweather's welterweight championship rematch with Marcos Maidana on Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand.
"Timing is everything," he said. "We've been working with Golden Boy for a number of years and gained invaluable experience working hand in hand with them. We've taken over a number of different processes and been hands on. Now things are pretty much turn key."
Nevada commissioners praised Mayweather and Ellerbe for submitting a thorough and detailed application for a license.
"This is the best packet I've seen put forward in terms of completeness," commissioner Bill Brady told them. "This application is as good as I've seen."
Added commissioner Pat Lundvall: "This is an excellent application. It demonstrates a respect for the commission."
Commissioner Skip Avansino called Mayweather and Ellerbe "wonderful role models for the sport."
Ellerbe said he appreciated the commission's kind words and approval.
"They're a very detail-oriented commission and the application you have to give them is very, very detailed," he said. "They are the best commission in all of boxing. They look at every aspect of your business, from top to bottom. It's like 20-some pages. We took it seriously. It's an honor to have a license in the state of Nevada."
Ellerbe said he is in the process of seeking licenses in California; Washington, D.C.; Illinois; and Michigan, Mayweather's birth state.
"Our intentions are to be licensed in as many places as possible as we look to build our company in different states," Ellerbe said. "Floyd is a great marketer and he knows how to go out there and attract fans and create big events."
Also at the meeting, the commission appointed officials for the Top Rank card that will take place Aug. 2 (HBO) at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Welterweight Brandon Rios (31-2-1, 23 KOs), a former lightweight titleholder coming off a one-sided decision loss to Manny Pacquiao and subsequent drug suspension, faces Diego Chaves (23-1, 19 KOs) in the 10-round main event. Vic Drakulich was appointed as the referee with Robert Hoyle, Patricia Morse Jarman and Jerry Roth named as judges.
In the co-feature, junior welterweight titlist Jessie Vargas (24-0, 9 KOs) will make his first defense when he faces Anton Novikov. Kenny Bayless was appointed as the referee with the judging panel including Burt Clements, Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge.