Mosley defamation case against Conte upheld by judge

NEW YORK (AFP) - Welterweight boxing champion Shane Mosley won a victory outside the ring on Wednesday when a New York State Supreme Court judge upheld his defamation case against BALCO steroid scandal lynchpin Victor Conte.

Judge Louis York ruled in favor of US veteran fighter Mosley, reigning World Boxing Association welterweight champion, by denying Conte's bid to have the case dismissed for lack of merit.

BALCO founder Conte has said Mosley would take a limousine to office visits with him where he would provide the fighter with steroids and has claimed he saw Mosley knowingly inject himself with endurance-boosting EPO.

"This is one step along the road of securing justice for Shane," said Judd Burstein, Mosley's lawyer. "Conte can run, but he cannot hide from me."

Mosley, 46-5 with 39 knockouts, stopped Mexico's Antonio Margarito in the ninth round in January to claim a share of the throne.

He is in talks to face Philippines superstar Manny Pacquiao and has also been mentioned as a possible future foe for undefeated US star Floyd Mayweather Jnr., who returns to the ring from retirement next month.

Conte's BALCO laboratories sparked major doping scandals in athletics and baseball.

In testimony before a BALCO grand jury that was to have remained sealed, Mosley said he took steroids and EPO while training for a 2003 fight with Oscar de la Hoya but did not know the substances he was using were banned.

Mosley defeated de la Hoya by unanimous decision for the WBA and World Boxing Council light middleweight crowns.