Pacquiao testifies in case trial in California court, mulls comeback fight
WORLD BOXING ICON Manny Pacquiao in a file photo during training with Freddie Roach (Wendell Alinea)
LOS ANGELES, California – As reports swirl that Filipino boxing icon Emmanuel Manny Pacquiao is set to fight professionally again anytime this year, he flew to Los Angeles and testified as a witness in the civil lawsuit brought on by Paradigm Sports Management.
Paradigm sued Pacquiao in 2021 for alleged breach of contract in connection with the botched fight with UFC star Connor McGregor who was represented by Paradigm .
The sports management company had signed Pacquiao in February 2020 with talks of a possible megafight between him and the British UFC fighter McGregor.
Paradigm sought to block the Pacquiao-Spence fight. Spence eventually pulled out of the fight due to injury and was replaced by Yordenis Ugas.
Last year, Pacquiao countered the said lawsuit with his own cross-complaint against Paradigm.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao was reported to be close to making his professional boxing return.
Pacquiao admitted that he dreamed of making a comeback and was already in training, Asian MMA reported
“There is still that dream to return to boxing. Right now, I’m focused on training and conditioning so I will not lose my speed and power,” Pacquiao was quoted as saying in the report.
Earlier, it was bruited about that Pacquiao was to fight one of the brightest stars in the sport identified as Conor Benn last June in Abu Dhabi, but this fizzled out.
In his last professional fight in Aug. 2021, Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas before returning for an exhibition with South Koreab DK Yoo last December.
ABS-CBN and TFC reported that Pacquiao’s jury trial began last month in Orange County. Earlier this April, PSM’s founder and CEO Audie Attar testified in several hearings.
Pacquiao was at the witness stand for six hours on Monday and answered questions from his lawyer Bruce Cleeland before a cross examination by Paradigm’s attorney, Judd Burstein, TFC and ABS-CBN reported.
The boxing legend and former lawmaker arrived in the U.S. over the weekend with his wife Jinkee, where they attended the Tank Davis-Ryan Garcia fight.
Pacquiao returns to the courthouse on Wednesday, with the jury set to begin its deliberations by Thursday.
