Defamation suit lurks as likely roadblock to Pacquiao-Mayweather

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL



Bob Arum is confident of striking a deal for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Nov. 13, but one obstacle is in the Top Rank chairman's way.

Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his uncle Roger Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions on Dec. 30, claiming they damaged Pacquiao's reputation by alluding that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

The lawsuit is a remnant of unconsummated negotiations for Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight March 13. Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, admits the suit will factor into any renewed talks.


"The lawsuit is still being actively pursued," Arum said. "All these issues are on the table and will be negotiated. I'm sure it will be discussed."
Mayweather's camp is not commenting. But common sense indicates Mayweather wouldn't agree to fight someone who is suing him and would demand that Pacquiao drop the suit to make a deal.


What Arum doesn't want to do is make the same mistake twice and negotiate in the media. On a conference call Wednesday, he constantly told reporters he would not answer specific questions about making a deal, even declining to confirm when he would sit down with Team Mayweather.


"Once you start negotiating through the media, it becomes ego driven," Arum said. "People can't wait to give a statement to the press. The flames just shoot up, and there's no real opportunity for rational behavior to take over.


"Everyone is so interested in setting forth his position to the media that it becomes a contest that involves me and everyone else. As far as when, I have my marching orders (from Pacquiao), and it will be sooner than later."
If a deal is made, the fight probably would be at the MGM Grand Garden or Cowboys Stadium, Arum said.


■ TOP-10 GATE -- The Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden made the list of top-10 paid gates for a Nevada boxing card.
According to the Nevada Athletic Commission, the fight produced a gate of $11,032,100, making it the 10th largest in Nevada history. The official paid attendance was 14,038.


Mayweather-Mosley bumped the 1996 rematch between Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno from the top 10, a fight that did $10,673,700. The record gate in Nevada is the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight in 2007, which generated $18,419,200.
Along with the 1.4 million pay-per-view buys on HBO, Mayweather-Mosley attracted an additional 12,879 to closed-circuit TV sites at eight MGM Mirage properties, generating approximately $1 million more.


■ DEFENDING PAVLIK'S DECISION -- Kelly Pavlik's decision to move up from middleweight to super middleweight after an April 17 loss to Sergio Martinez was endorsed by Arum, Pavlik's promoter.


"I think he knows his body, and in order to make 160 (pounds), he had to burn off a lot of muscle," Arum said. "He's got to be comfortable with his weight, and if he's burning muscle to make weight, it doesn't make any sense for him to stay at 160."
Pavlik (36-2, 32 knockouts) has ventured beyond middleweight previously with mixed results. In 2008, he weighed 164 when he beat Jermain Taylor for the second time. Later that year, Pavlik lost by unanimous decision to Bernard Hopkins at 170, the first loss of his career.
Pavlik, his father, Mike, and longtime trainer Jack Loew decided it was time to move up in weight, and Arum said he thinks the former middleweight champion can regain his form.
"I don't think he's done. I think you'll see the old Kelly Pavlik," Arum said.

 

Arum and Pac are full of ****. Take the test or **** off.

 

Strange comments considering it was him who was making comments most days through the last lot of negotiations.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqq7PipRimE&feature=related[/ame]


eat **** boob arum.

 

Wonder what manny is hiding? Why not take the tests? It looks good on the sport of boxing, it will clear his name, he will be in the biggest fight (arguably) in the history of boxing, the most richest, and he'll be sharing the ring with absolute top level competiton...


Only fans that think he shouldnt test are the idiots who dont watch boxing beyond manny pacquiao and whats going on with him

 

take the test or go suck dick

 

It's not a roadblock. It's a negotiating chip. It's a BS claim anyway, in that there are probably little to no damages.

 

That suit is a muzzle on the Mayweathers. Its hilarious. I doubt Pac will just let it go. Its obvious Snr and company are thinking about it.

 

But Sr. and Roger keep accusing Pacquiao of being on steroids. I don't think either of them care about the lawsuit.

 

Sorry folks, this fight ain't happening.

 

He's on his tippy toes now. You'd have to be a moron and not listen to your lawyers to be spouting the same junk that got you into the lawsuit. Obviously, Roger got the CYA notice from his lawyers.

Regarding the breakdown in negotiations between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao:
“Well, obviously, you can’t make a fight unless two people want to fight. You got to have two people who want to fight to make a fight. If one guy don’t want to fight, you can’t make him fight. The fight didn’t happen. The only reason the fight with Floyd and Pacquiao didn’t happen is because Pacquiao didn’t want to take that test. He already knew something. I am not going to tell you what was in him, but he already knew that he didn’t want to take the fight and for whatever reasons, he didn’t take it, and obviously from what I know because of drug testing. Other than that, why the fight didn’t happen is because he didn’t want to take the drug test.”

 

According to what I've read, the lawsuit is weak as hell in the first place. Therefore I don't really think the PBF camp would consider it a stumbling block in negotations.

 

That could be true, but its going to a trial so somewhere along the line it got the greenlight.

 

All lawsuits will eventually go to trial if not dropped. This suit is very weak. Celebrity defamation lawsuits almost always lose because of the freedom of speech/public figure stuff.

To win, Pac's side has to prove that the Mayweather's knew what they said was false. Since they will say they honestly believe Pac is using, and that they were stating opinion, then it's like a 99% chance that Pac will lose the suit.

If it was that easy to win one of those cases, all of the tabloids would be shut down for all the crap they put out there.

 

wow looks like Pac has a strong legitimate case if Floyd wants the lawsuit thrown out that badly.