Salven L. Lagumbay
6/11/2007

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is set to give his court-mandated deposition on Wednesday in Los Angeles, said the boxing idol's close associate Rex 'Wakee' Salud in a message yesterday from New York.

 

The deposition is in connection with the case filed by Oscar De la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions against Top Rank for interfering in the contract signed by Pacquiao with the LA-based boxing outfit in September.

 

GBP has hired lawyer Judd Burstein to bolster their chances of winning the case over the promotional rights of Pacquiao. Burstein had once worked for Pacquiao in the latter's case against former promoter Murad Muhammad, which was later settled out of court in what was described as a major victory by Pacquiao. He has also represented Top Rank and Bob Arum numerous times.

Golden Boy hailed Top Rank to court after the latter signed Pacquiao to yet another contract following his third fight with Erik Morales for $1 Million dollars, which was twice the amount paid by GBP to Pacquiao in their September deal.

 

Earlier, GBP president Oscar De la Hoya had given his deposition, and while Pacquiao had hinted he would avoid the deposition, GBP executive Richard Schaefer told Philboxing that 'this is a court ordered deposition which Manny has to take.'

 

A deposition, according to Philboxing.com, is "one of the many tools lawyers use to gather information before a trial. If you are called or subpoenaed for a deposition you are being called to testify about your personal knowledge of facts that relate to a lawsuit." Pacquiao is expected to answer questions truthfully and to the best of his knowledge under oath.

Meanwhile, according to Boxingconfidential, there is also a settlement conference scheduled in Los Angeles next week in which the two sides will be asked by a judge if they can find common ground and perhaps settle the contentious matter without going to trial.

 

"In civil cases  especially, judges quite often take an active role in urging the litigating parties to forego the time, expense and psychic wear and tear of having a trial. If the parties can voluntarily settle, with or without a not so gentle push from the judge, it also helps clear up badly overloaded judicial dockets," said Michael Marley, who owns Boxingconfidential.