MANILA, Philippines?An HBO Sports crew has been requested to tell the truth in the case of a former friend of world boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao who has sued trainer Freddie Roach for damages, it was reported from California on Friday.
The complainant, Gregg Asuncion, a former close-in ally of Pacquiao, has appealed to several HBO crew men who were said to be present inside the Roach?s Wild Card gym when the alleged mauling incident happened on Oct. 20 to ?come out and tell the truth.?
The report, written by correspondent Alex Vidal, was sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Asuncion.
?I appeal to all those TV crew men of HBO who witnessed the incident to please come out and tell the truth,? Asuncion, who works in the Los Angeles Sheriff?s Office, wrote in an e-mail to the giant TV network. ?Please help me ferret out the truth (now that a case has been formally filed in court).?
The 51-year-old Asuncion accused Roach of hitting him in the back while he was inside the gym after he escorted Pacquiao from the boxer?s The Palazzo apartment in Los Angeles.
?The HBO TV crew were there because they were documenting a story in preparation for Pacquiao?s fight against Oscar De La Hoya (on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas),? said Asuncion.
Asuncion said the incident happened in the locker room when he was about to ask permission from Pacquiao to wait downstairs after being told by gym security chief Rob Peters and Roach himself that he was not welcome in the gym.
Asuncion said he approached Roach who told him to ?get the hell out of the gym.?
?Fred must have thought I would tell Manny that he wanted to drive me away,? Asuncion explained.
He said he fell on his knees after allegedly being chopped in the neck by Roach from behind. On his way to the door, Asuncion said he felt dizzy and fell. Instead of helping him, some of the trainer?s supporters allegedly jeered and accused him of acting.
Roach has denied hitting Asuncion.
