Floyd Mayweather Jr. defied a court order Friday when he failed to appear for a deposition in the defamation lawsuit filed in Las Vegas by pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather tried to postpone the deposition at the last minute, but federal magistrate Judge Robert Johnston denied his request Thursday and ordered Mayweather to appear Friday.

Pacquiao is suing Mayweather, along with his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather, over statements they made accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs for his fights.

Pacquiao, boxing's only eight-division champion and a reigning welterweight titleholder, denies he has ever used PEDs.

"Mr. Mayweather maliciously leveled false accusations about Mr. Pacquiao. We are anxious to examine him under oath about those statements," Daniel Petrocelli, Pacquiao's attorney, said in a statement. "He is just dodging his deposition because he is afraid to testify, but he has no right to defy a court order."

Leonard Ellerbe, a Mayweather adviser, told ESPN.com, "This is a legal matter and we're not allowed to comment on it."

Pacquiao previously settled the same lawsuit with Golden Boy Promotions executives Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya.

Pacquiao and Mayweather twice have failed to make a fight between them, which many believe would be the richest fight in history. The first of two negotiations fell apart solely over the inability of the sides to agree on the drug-testing protocol for the bout.

Although Mayweather did not show up in court, his handlers announced plans Friday for a two-city media tour to promote Mayweather's Sept. 17 pay-per-view fight against welterweight titleholder Victor Ortiz.

They will kick off at noon ET June 28 at the Hudson Theater in New York City's Times Square followed by a second tour stop at 11 p.m. ET June 29 at Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Both events are open and free to the public.

The venue and pay-per-view network carrying the fight have not yet been announced.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.