Pacquiao pushing defamation suit

Photo by AP

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s legal team may add claims to the defamation suit filed by the Filipino champion against Floyd Mayweather Jr., his father Floyd Mayweather Sr, uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions.

Lawyer David Marroso has told the Inquirer that, although the defamation case against Oscar De La Hoya, Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy Promotions had been settled, the case will proceed against the remaining defendants.

“We may be adding claims to the lawsuit because of additional defamatory statements that the Mayweathers recently made and disseminated,” Marroso said.

“All the defendants tried to have Pacquiao’s case dismissed, claiming that his case had no merit. But the court denied every one of those motions.”

Marroso said they have asked for a trial date “in the near future.”

US district judge Larry Hicks, in denying the motion to dismiss the case, ruled that there was sufficient evidence of malicious acts by the Mayweathers, who accused Pacquiao of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Pacquiao’s lead attorney, Daniel  Petrocelli noted that none of the defendants have had “any evidence to back up the assertion that he (Pacquiao) has taken performance enhancing drugs, because he didn’t.”

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer recently reported that the two tests conducted before and after the May 7 fight between Pacquiao and Shane Mosley “all came back negative.”