By Lem Satterfield
According to Michael Koncz, adviser to Manny Pacquiao, the defamation suit against Floyd Mayweather Jr. will continue. Last December, in Las Vegas, Pacquiao filed a lawsuit seeking damages for defamation of character. The suit was filed against Floyd Mayweather. Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya. In the lawsuit, Pacquiao claims the defendants made allegations that he used performance enhancing drugs to win some of his fights.
As reported earlier this week, Top Rank [who promote Pacquiao] and Golden Boy Promotions [who work with Mayweather] reached an agreement in principle to stage a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao on November 13 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao has agreed to the terms, which are rumored to include a drug testing protocol and a 50/50 split of the money. The same proposal has been sent to Mayweather, and the former five division champion has until mid-July to accept or reject the deal.
Despite a near deal for the richest fight in boxing, the legal battle between the two fighters will continue. Koncz says the legal suit was not part of the fight negotiations.
"The court case is not part of this negotiations. There was irreparable harm done to Manny's image, so we're going ahead with that," said Koncz. "As far as the fight and the court case, one is not contingent on the other."
Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.
