Oscar looks for way out of Manny lawsuit

Source: By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Oscar dela Hoya is trying to wiggle out of the lawsuit filed by Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Philboxing.com yesterday reported that New York-based lawyer Judd Burstein, who helped Pacquiao in his case against his ex-promoter, Murad Muhammad, in 2005, will make sure the Golden Boy does.

Burstein is seeking relief from Dela Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, and Richard Schaefer, the CEO. But it doesn’t mean that Burstein is also working for the dismissal of the case against Mayweather.

Pacquiao was accused by the Mayweathers, the boxer, his father and uncle, of using illegal performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), and the undefeated American called for a random blood-testing before he could agree to fight the Filipino icon.

But Pacquiao answered the accusations with a lawsuit that was filed by his lawyer, Dan Petrocelli, in Nevada last December, right after negotiations for the super-fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather officially broke down.

The reigning pound-for-pound champion filed charges of defamation against the Mayweathers, and included Dela Hoya and Schaefer in the lawsuit that may result to damages in excess of $5 million.

Burstein, according to the report, will try to get Dela Hoya and Schaefer out of the lawsuit, and that the statements made by the Golden Boy big bosses regarding Pacquiao’s alleged PEDs were just “opinions.”

And that they were “reasonable questions based on the facts that lead to suspicion that Pacquiao is using illegal PEDs.”

Burstein could be the man who can wiggle the Golden Boy out of the lawsuit. And he’s not new to boxing, having made previous representations for Don King, Lennox Lewis and Pacquiao, and non-boxing figures like Donald Trump and The Backstreet Boys.

The bitter dispute regarding the blood-testing prevented the super-fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather from happening. And unless they agree somewhere, the fight will never happen at all.

Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, however, said the other day the fight may push through if Mayweather drops his demand for the blood-testing and Pacquiao drops the lawsuit.

But Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, shot it down, saying it’s not going to happen.

Koncz spoke to The STAR the other day, and said the only way the lawsuit would go away is if Pacquiao is “compensated monetarily or the Mayweathers are punished by the court and asked to pay millions or if there’s an off-the-court settlement.”

“I’m sure Manny won’t change his position because we’re not spending thousands and thousands of dollars for the lawsuit just to use it as a bargaining chip for a fight. No way,” added Koncz.

“It was never our intention to file the lawsuit and use it later on as a bargaining chip for a fight,” he added.

“That’s ridiculous,” Koncz said.

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