THE LAWSUITS filed by boxing manager Shelly Finkel and lawyers Keith Davidson and Nicholas Khan in Los Angeles against Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao and his local advisers Franklin Gacal and Wakee Salud have been dismissed with prejudice.
This was the message relayed yesterday by Khan, who provided through electronic mail copies of the documents showing proof that the cases filed last May 30 in the Superior Court of Los Angeles have indeed been taken back.
Khan said the two cases have been dismissed with prejudice on June 14, a development that should restore order back into the camp of Pacquiao.
Case No. 353102 was filed against Gacal and Salud, who the American handlers of Pacquiao charged with violation of contractual obligations stemming from Pacquiao’s decision to co-promote his July 2 fight with Oscar Larios without consent from Finkel, Khan and Davidson.
“We were not given copies of the contract,” Finkel told the Bulletin earlier in the week during a 20-minute Q&A at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, while Pacquiao was working out.
Case No. 353103 was also filed this time against Pacquiao and his promotional outfit MP Promotions for the same nature. MP Promotions is staging the show in partnership with television station ABS-CBN.
Finkel said he was compelled to file a case because Pacquiao’s advisers committed violations in connection with his relationship with the fighter.
But because Pacquiao expressed his disappointment over the turn of events upon learning of the lawsuits two weeks ago, the New York-based Finkel decided to withdraw the case so Pacquiao could concentrate on his training for the Larios fight at the Araneta Coliseum.
Salud arrived in Manila last Thursday, while Gacal came in the following day.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is leaving LAX late Sunday night for Manila via Philippine Airlines accompanied by Finkel and Khan, trainer Freddie Roach, Los Angeles-based adviser Joe Ramos, training assistant Buboy Fernandez and a handful of other Filipino friends.
Roach is making sure Pacquiao gets premium training as they embark on a 16-hour journey as he plans to see his prized pupil in the gym on that day for a few rounds of sparring.
Pacquiao’s party is expected to touch down on Tuesday at 5 a.m. and the GenSan lefty might even work out starting at noon, according to Roach so their training won’t miss a single beat.
