LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao, star of the show, got a flat, unenthusiastic reception here when he walked into the lobby of the host hotel Monday night but it’s his opponent, Marco Antonio Barrera, who’s in for a rude welcome.
There were a few colored balloons, held up by a small group of Filipinas who were plainly glad to see their idol, when Pacquiao arrived.
“Forget about him, buddy, Pacquiao will knock him out, that’s for sure,” blurted Wayne Sausalito, valet parking attendant, as he pumped his right hand.
He didn’t have to be asked, but with the hot approval for Pacquiao prevailing in this well-lit gaming capital, Sausalito found the baring of the anti-Barrera sentiment the smartest thing to state.
Pacquiao and his entourage of around 30 people hit the glittering Strip area as scheduled in a five-vehicle convoy, including a 14-seat van, at 9 p.m. Monday, after a five-hour drive from Los Angeles.
Filipino John Pribhdas was surprised to learn that Pacquiao was already in the hotel.
“We’re all for him, but we could not find anybody here to bet against,” the brother of the late Danny Pribhdas in the PBA explained.
All the Mexicans he knew around here were all for Pacquiao, claimed the tall lobby attendant with a well-modulated voice.
To make up for the cold reception, Mandalay Bay, host of the “Will to Win” card, has lined up elaborate greetings for Pacquiao Tuesday, before the scheduled media workout for the Filipino boxing superstar.
Although it was not clear if Barrera had already checked in, the Mexican boxing legend has been scheduled to shadow-box before members of the press on Wednesday.
There was emphasis on speed in Pacquiao’s final workout at Wild Card that included four rounds of sparring and an unscheduled work with the heavy bags.
“I don’t want him to be too tight,” trainer Freddie Roach said of his prized warrior who, he said, has visibly hit peak form ahead.
Pacquiao himself said there was nothing to fear about possible burnout.
“Mas maaga ko nakuha kundisyon, pero walang dapat ikatakot (I hit my peak early, but there?s nothing to be afraid of,” Pacquiao explained during a brief break in his final workout in Los Angeles.
“Excited na talaga ko, sana laban na (I’m excited already, I like to fight now)” he later told a television interviewer.
There was no outright manifestation of distaste over the rematch, but it’s safe to say fans would have been more enthusiastic if a younger, stronger foe had instead been lined up against Pacquiao, who knocked out Barrera in Texas four years ago.
Pacquiao is enjoying his bountiful summer in boxing, while Barrera, if not exactly overstaying, is clearly in the last quarter of his career.
“I’m picking Pacquiao to win it between rounds one and seven,” former senator Robert Jaworski told the Philippine Daily Inquirer after dropping by Pacquiao’s training camp in LA Sunday.
Jaworski said things could just turn mysterious in scoring, however, if the fight lasts 12 rounds.
“A lot of honor is at stake, so we can never tell,” Jaworski, looking fit in a light blue long-sleeved shirt and matching slacks, explained.
He will be at ringside, together with other celebrities and politicians from the Philippines, on Saturday.
