WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN?

Las Vegas, NV:- While hanging out late last night at the Mandalay Bay Casino with the rest of the PhilBoxing crew, we saw Franklin Gacal, Pacquiao's lawyer, walked by with two gentlemen. When we were introduced to them, we found out that one was Richie Mepranum, the young WBO Oriental flyweight champion from the stable of Mayor Jojo Lopez of Maasim, Saranggani.

Mepranum and his trainer just flew in from Manila about an hour before we met them.

They were picked up by Gacal at the Las Vegas Airport.

Mepranum will be fighting on the undercard of the Pacquiao ?de la Hoya tiff against a Mexican boxer named Cesar ?Gallito? Lopez.

The very late arrival of Mepranum should really be a cause for concern.

Why do people in the know about boxing in the Philippines who book fights for our young boxers, more often than not, bring them to the US on the very last minute and put them on a disadvantage?

Have they not heard about the ill-effects of jet-lag?

These boxers are not Superman and no matter how well-trained and healthy they are, if they travel over several time zones, they will have jet-lag.

How in the world can they expect a boxer to give a 100% output if he is jet-lagged?

I wonder are they really concerned at all about the fighters and their well-being?

Arriving just three days before a fight really places the boxer in a pressure situation, particularly if they are fighting in the US for the first time.

There are issues like ?medical clearance? that are required by the State Boxing Commission.

As it is, Mepranum as a late comer must spent the whole day today getting a medical check-up so a ?clearance? can be issued for him to fight. What if he fails the exams and does not get an okay to fight?

Isn?t that just a waste of money and, time let alone a huge let down for the boxer?

Mepranum today, missed the pre-fight conference at the MGM for the boxers on the undercard. That in itself may not be a big deal but for whatever it was worth, it could have been a good time for the Team to visually assess his opponent.

If nothing else, it could have been a huge exposure to the international media who were at the conference.

But that did not happen.

So on Saturday, if Mepranum gets an okay from the medical doctors, when he climbs the ring, it would be the first time he will set sight on his opponent.

That should not have been the case if only his handlers did their job better.

Just thinking, when will they ever learn?

Top photo shows the undercards for the 'Dream Match' posing for photos minus the Philippines' Richie Mepranum during today's presscon for the undercards. Photo by Dr. Ed de la Vega.