By Robert Morales
Although Manny Pacquiao agreed to a settlement regarding his defamation lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions executives Oscar de La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, the same is not true for Floyd Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Roger Mayweather.
The five were named in the suit filed in December 2009 in Nevada District Court. It claimed remarks they made suggested Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs.
"The lawsuit, just for purposes of clarity here, continues against all the other parties," Pacquiao's hot-shot attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said Wednesday. "All the Mayweathers. It was resolved only with respect to the Golden Boy parties."
Petrocelli was asked whose idea it was to come to the settlement with De La Hoya and Schaefer.
"I don't feel like discussing how we got there because there is a confidentiality agreement," Petrocelli said.
The settlement, reached Tuesday, came with a statement from de la Hoya and Schaefer that basically said they were sorry if their remarks were taken to mean that they believed Pacquiao was on PEDs.
"Manny was satisfied with the terms and Golden Boy issued the public statement," Petrocelli said.
Petrocelli would not say if money was involved in the agreement.
"I don't want to get into any of the terms," he said.
Petrocelli wasn't shy about the case that remains against the Mayweathers, however.
"The Mayweather people have made even more defamatory statements about him (Pacquiao), so those will be part of the lawsuit in court. We are in discovery right now and we will be trying to get a trial date in the near future," Petrocelli said.
SCHAEFER RESPONDS
It was May 16 that Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, and Arum sat down to iron out an agreement that would allow Juan Manuel Marquez to fight Pacquiao a third time without any interference from Golden Boy, which had been promoting Marquez and still had the right to match any offer Marquez received.
Like Tuesday's settlement, there was a confidentiality clause, so details were not disclosed. But Schaefer on Wednesday did confirm what Arum told BoxingScene.com after that May 16 meeting.
“At the end of the mediation, when we came to an agreement, we shook hands and said we are both going to make an effort that we are not going to let it get to that again," Schaefer said of the rift that resulted in the two companies not doing business since Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton in May 2009.
"All this is behind us now. I can definitely see our two companies working together again where there is a demand and people want to see a fight."
Schaefer was asked if Tuesday's settlement in the defamation suit solidified all that.
"Correct," he said.
There were two things Schaefer was able to say about that mediation for Marquez-Pacquiao III, which is slated for Nov. 12.
One, Golden Boy will have nothing to do with that promotion and two, Marquez is completely gone from Golden Boy.
OSCAR’S REHABILITATION
de la Hoya voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation clinic for substance abuse roughly a month ago and Schaefer said his boss remains there. Schaefer, however, would not divulge any details of De La Hoya's stay.
"I can't really make any public statements," he said, "because I don't think that would be my place. I think that would be Oscar's place, when he can."
Schaefer did say that he expects De La Hoya to win this battle, the way he won so many others inside the ring.
"Knowing his accomplishments, to achieve in life what he has achieved, I'm confident he will win this as well," Schaefer said.
PRAISE FOR HOPKINS
Schaefer couldn't say enough about the experience of Bernard Hopkins becoming the oldest world champion at 46 with his exciting decision over Jean Pascal last month in Canada.
"The fans are just amazing, amazing boxing fans," Schaefer said of the more than 17,500 who took in the fight at Bell Centre in Montreal. "Very passionate and very knowledgeable and very fair. It was the biggest boxing crowd in history in Canada."
Schaefer said Hopkins, who fights for Golden Boy, gave a "tremendous performance. I think it gives all of us who are close to 50 some hope. With proper diet and discipline, anything is possible and I think that is what Bernard showed us."
ORTIZ TO POSSIBLY RETURN IN SEPTEMBER
Schaefer was asked when we might next see newly crowned welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, who fought very well when he won the title with a unanimous decision over Andre Berto in April.
"We hope to have him back in September," Schaefer said. "I'm working on a couple of things, literally two. I don't really have more to say at this point because I'm working on that and it would be counterproductive to say what they are."
ROACH, CHAVEZ JR. SPEAK ON SATURDAY’S TITLE FIGHT
Freddie Roach and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. fought during the same era, yet until earlier this month they had never spoken – though Roach said he tried to converse with Chavez.
"I would say hi to him and he would just walk by me," said Roach, who will be in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s corner Saturday when he challenges Sebastian Zbik for his middleweight world title at Staples Center in Los Angeles. "I always thought his dad was the meanest guy in the world and just didn't like anybody. But he's doing real well now, he's cleaned his act up. He was happy, he was happy for Manny (Pacquiao) at the last fight. He shook my hand afterwards, we had a nice discussion.
"He didn't know that I was a big fan of his. I'm telling him about his fights and where they were and so forth. It was a great conversation."
One that almost had to take place, Roach said.
"It was something that we needed to make the son more comfortable in the direction I'm pointing in because, you know, the son still wants to be his dad," Roach said. "But I'm trying to make him a better boxer, actually, because he has the height and reach advantages that his dad didn't.
"And his dad was an inside fighter and so forth and I think Julio Jr. is too tall to be an inside fighter and he should use his boxing ability on the outside a little bit more and that's what we're working on."
Roach said young Chavez has been a model pupil.
"His boxing ability's getting a lot better," Roach said. "He knows his stuff pretty well. He's measuring distance a lot better, he's using angles a lot better. He's a real good student; he listens very well. He tries really hard."
ZBIK SEEKS RESPECT
When Zbik enters the ring against Chavez it will be his first fight in the United States. Only four of his 30 fights have been outside of his native Germany, for that matter. During a workout last week at Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood, Zbik was asked about the importance of winning a fight that could give him some fame in the U.S. Although most non-American fighters say it is imperative to get noticed in America, Zbik has other fish to fry.
"It's not the most important thing for me," Zbik said. "At first, I'm here to win the fight. When I win the fight here, I'm very famous in Germany because it was 80 years ago when Max Schmeling won the last championship fight, so we can make history in Germany."
Schmeling was the last German to win a major world-title fight in the United States when he defended the heavyweight championship with a 15th-round technical knockout of Young Stribling on July 3, 1931 at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
Zbik proved to have quite an engaging personality as he played host to a handful of reporters. It showed when he was asked to describe himself as a fighter.
"I'm not a knockout (guy). When I say with 10 knockouts in 30 fights I'm a knockout guy, nobody will believe me."
Zbik laughed, and the room roared.
SANCHEZ: RIOS-ANTILLON HOULD BE ACTION PACKED
Abel Sanchez was in Urbano Antillon's corner last December in Anaheim, Calif. when Antillon challenged Humberto Soto for his lightweight world title at Honda Center. It was an incredible, give-and-take, hard-hitting fight that ended in a unanimous decision for Soto, only because Antillon had a point deducted in the fifth round for a low blow; otherwise, it would have been a majority draw with Soto nevertheless retaining his belt.
Well, five weeks from Saturday - on July 9 at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. - Antillon is going to try again for his first major title when he tries to wrest away the belt belonging to Brandon Rios. Sanchez expects another ring war.
"People remember the fight Urbano had against Soto and they know his style and he's not going to change from one fight to another fight," said Sanchez, who trains Antillon and others out of his sprawling training camp in Big Bear, Calif. "Brandon is the kind of fighter who comes forward, too. He's going to try and be in your face, so I can't see it going any other way.
"I can't see it not being in the middle of the ring and banging and, hopefully, the guy that took better care of himself in the gym is going to be victorious. I think it's going to be better than the Soto fight."
Showtime, which will carry the Top Rank Inc. fight, would love that.
SANCHEZ ALSO IN GOMEZ’ CORNER
Highly touted junior welterweight Frankie Gomez (9-0, 7 KOs) of East Los Angeles recently brought Sanchez into his corner, replacing Ronnie Rivota.
"They approached me, the manager," Sanchez said, in reference to Hector Ibarra. "And Golden Boy approached me. I told them I would work with him for a couple of weeks to see how we get along. That was three or four months ago. He's a good kid. He just needs to find his way. He has a lot of talent.
"It's just a matter of him keeping sharp and making sure that he understands he has a great opportunity with Golden Boy. They have a big machine pushing him."
Gomez, just 19, has been aloof with the media. When he does interviews, he acts like he's not crazy about doing them, like he really doesn't want to. This, of course, is not good for a young fighter trying to make a name for himself. Sanchez intimated there might be some shyness involved.
"I'm going to start taking him to schools and talking to kids," he said. "Just so he lets words roll."