A big step will be taken Friday (Saturday in Manila) when lawyers of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather appear before mediator Daniel Weinstein in relation with the defamation suit filed by the Filipino fighter against his brash and unbeaten American rival.
If both camps agree on something that will result to something amicable, it should play a pivotal part in staging a fight between boxing?s biggest stars as efforts to bring them together have failed in the last two years.
It could be noted that Pacquiao filed a lawsuit against Mayweather last year after Mayweather made allegations that Pacquiao has been using performance-enhancing drugs in preparation for his fights.
Pacquiao has vehemently denied ever using banned substances and has never failed a drug test in more than 20 fights on US soil since 2001.
The pair of high-caliber lawyers, Daniel Petrocelli and David Marroso, will represent Pacquiao, while an equally-distinguished team will take the cudgels for Mayweather, who will be out of a Las Vegas prison this weekend after serving a two-month term.
Oscar De La Hoya was originally included in the case but the Golden Boy issued an apology later, clearing Pacquiao of any wrong-doing and persuading the withdrawal of the suit against him.
