LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao readied himself for deposition by meeting with his American lawyers on Tuesday, the boxing star’s confidant Wakee Salud said just before he boarded a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Manila.
“Right now, he’s being briefed by his lawyers,” said Salud.
Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) are slugging it out in court over the promotional control over Pacquiao and a battery of lawyers from the Oscar De La Hoya-owned GBP that includes noted litigators Burt Fields and Judd Burstein are expected to grill the 28-year-old fighter on Wednesday.
Pacquiao is the only major player left who hasn’t been subjected to deposition as Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, even De La Hoya and trainer Freddie Roach have all been heard.
Later in the week, Pacquiao’s Filipino adviser, lawyer Franklin Gacal, will also have his deposition before being allowed to go back home.
Top Rank is represented also by a top-notch legal team led by Daniel Petrocceli.
The legal battle over Pacquiao has prevented the two rival promotional outfits to arrange a fight involving Pacquiao against the super-featherweight division’s marquee names.
Top Rank only has Pacquiao and rising Mexican Humberto Soto, while GBP boasts of reigning WBC 130-lb king Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic and a couple of other big-named punchers.
Even Venezuelan knockout king Edwin Valero has close links with GBP, making it difficult for Arum to sign up somebody of note to battle Pacquiao.
In fact, when Pacquiao fought last April in Texas, Top Rank tapped unknown Jorge Solis of Mexico, who lasted eight rounds.
Top Rank says it is willing to meet halfway with GBP, but the Los Angeles-based GBP says it’s not advisable to deal with Arum.
