Manny Pacquiao Absolves De La Hoya and Schaefer but Not Mayweathers in Lawsuit

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao announced Tuesday he has accepted the apology issued by Oscar de la Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) in connection with the defamation case pending in court.

The public apology has paved the way for the settlement of the case against the two GBP officials.

Earlier, de la Hoya, who has entered a rehab center for reported substance abuse, reached out to Bob Arum via his Twitter account saying he was sorry for the pain he had caused him.

 “Dear Bob Arum, first I would like to humbly apologize for any pain I have caused to you and or your family,” the Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) owner said through his Twitter account.

“I also want to apologize to Manny Paquiao for any wrongdoing in my part. You are a great champion,” De la Hoya added.

The messages sent by de la Hoya to his former promoter has apparently triggered the settlement of the case against him and his CEO Richard Schaefer.

In the statement which was reportedly crafted by their lawyer, they made it clear they never intended to claim that Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs. 

"Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, on behalf of themselves and Golden Boy Promotions, wish to make it crystal clear that we never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, and further state that we do not have any evidence whatsoever of such use," the statement said.

"Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and we apologize if anyone construed our prior remarks as in any way claiming or even suggesting that Manny uses or has used performance-enhancing drugs."

In December 2009, Pacquiao filed a case in Las Vegas against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and his father for accusing him, without a shred of evidence, of using performance enhancing drugs. In the complaint, Pacquiao also included Oscar de la Hoya and Richard Schaefer.

"Conditions of Tuesday's settlement were not released. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said that Pacquiao's defamation case continues against the Mayweathers", Los Angeles Times reports.

"But the settlement could restore relations between Arum's Top Rank and De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, who haven't made a major fight together since May 2009," the report added.

Arum, who once acted as de la Hoya's promoter has earlier said he won't do business with Golden Boy Promotions unless de la Hoya and Schaefer issue a public apology in relation to the pending lawsuit.