(Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao is still waiting to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he claimed a victory of sorts on Wednesday when a federal judge ruled Mayweather must pay Pacquiao more than $113,000 for failing to give a deposition in a defamation suit, according to several media reports.
The majority of the money will likely go to Pacquiao's attorneys, who had filed suit on behalf of their boxer client for defamation after Mayweather told reporters and others that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs.
"Calling a professional athlete a cheater is the most serious charge one can make," Pacquiao's original lawsuit said. "Accusing an athlete of using performance-enhancing drugs - however baseless and lacking in evidence - is toxic."
Mayweather was scheduled to sit for a deposition sometime between June and October last year, but never showed up. One of his arguments was that he was too busy training, but investigators obtained photos of Mayweather at various nightclubs across the country showing him dancing, drinking and spending significant amounts of money.
"Mayweather decided that he, not the court, would determine if and when his deposition would take place," according to the motion. "Busy living the 'luxurious lifestyle non-stop,' 'pour(ing) champagne for (his) friends,' and keeping the company of 'attractive women,' Mayweather refused to be deposed. He disobeyed properly served deposition notices, filed specious 'emergency' motions, openly defied this court's order directing him to appear, and serially misrepresented his whereabouts to Pacquiao and this court. Exposing Mayweather's untruths was a massive - and expensive - undertaking."
Although U.S. District Court Judge Larry Hicks refused to grant Pacquiao default judgment on the basis of discovery of Mayweather's misdeeds, but did order Mayweather to pay deposition costs and attorney fees as punishment.
Pacquiao subsequently filed for attorney's fees and Hicks agreed, ordering Mayweather pay $113,518.50 on Monday.
"The court notes that the award of attorney's fees in this matter is a sanction against Mayweather's obviously intentional decision not to appear for his court ordered deposition," Hicks wrote. "This was a direct discovery violation after the court had entered a very clear order that the deposition go forward."
Pacquiao, who has won world championships in a record seven different weight categories, has long sought to fight Mayweather, who has refused all attempts to get into the ring with the Filipino superstar and Congressman.
In other news involving Mayweather, Las Vegas police responded to a residential disturbance call allegedly involving the fighter at the home of his daughter's mother on September 9. No arrests were made and no criminal charges were filed.
The incident came just over a month after Mayweather finished serving a two-month jail sentence on an unrelated domestic battery case. When he was released, Mayweather was not placed on probation.
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