JUST LIKE the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, site of the Oct. 6 rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera, harbors bad memories for the Mexican banger.
It was at the 12,000-seat arena was where Barrera suffered two of his five career defeats, first in February, 2000 and the second only this March.
It was at the Alamodome in Nov. 2003 when Pacquiao mauled Barrera to an 11th-round knockout defeat.
In an action-packed duel, Barrera lost a 12-round split decision to bitter rival Erik Morales and early this year, Barrera was dealt a 12-round unanimous defeat by another Mexican pugilist, the crafty Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao hasn’t fought at the Mandalay Bay although he has seen action at the Thomas and Mack Center, another big-time Las Vegas boxing venue, with two knockout victories over Morales in 2006 and the MGM Grand three times with a 1-1-1 (win-loss-draw) card.
Pacquiao made his US debut at the MGM Grand in June, 2001 with a smashing sixth-round knockout of Lehlo Ledwaba of South Africa and the southpaw from General Santos City returned there in May, 2004 only to be held to a bloody 12-round draw by Marquez.
In his third fight at the 17,257-seat MGM Grand, Pacquiao was upset by Morales in March 2005.
Barrera has fought a total of 15 times in Las Vegas, winning 12 fights there in stunning fashion. His other loss in Sin City was against Junior Jones in April, 1997 at the Hilton Hotel.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao is tentatively scheduled to fly to Los Angeles via Philippine Airlines at 10 tonight with training assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri to set the stage for his training at the Wild Card under Freddie Roach.
It is not expected that Pacquiao will report for duty right away since he is going to attend to personal and business matters first. Roach wants Pacquiao at the Wild Card’s doorsteps on Aug. 1.
