Boxing: Mayweather fails to appear in court

LAS VEGAS: A lawyer for Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao says rival Floyd Mayweather Junior failed to appear for a court-ordered deposition in Pacquiao’s defamation suit against the American fighter. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli said Mayweather did not show up on Friday to provide sworn testimony, a day after federal Magistrate Judge Robert Johnston ruled that he had to appear. Mayweather’s attorneys had argued that he needed to concentrate on training for his September 17 fight against Victor Ortiz. Pacquiao sued the American over statements from Mayweather and others in his camp accusing Pacquiao of taking performance-enhancing drugs. The two, considered the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, have repeatedly failed to reach terms to meet in the ring.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.