Unless Freddie Roach says otherwise, Manny Pacquiao will report to the Wild Card Gym on Tuesday (Los Angeles time) to resume his training for a March 15 showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.
?I will work out tomorrow,? said the 29-year-old superstar late Monday evening as he was settling in after taking a 12-hour trip from Manila together with his Pinoy trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
The cold LA weather, a high of 13 and a low of eight degrees Celsius, greeted Pacquiao as he stepped out of the airport. He was brought straight to his $4,500-a-month La Palazzo apartment unit to rest.
Pacquiao took a late phone call from Manila, and said he planned to work out the next day, and begin his eight-week grind for the blockbuster showdown with the Mexican WBC 130-lb champion.
Sparring sessions will begin on the first week of February.
Roach, the American trainer, however, is thinking of allowing Pacquiao to take a day off and shake off his jetlag before plunging into serious training.
Besides, there?s a 1 p.m. press conference Tuesday at the Rodeo Room of the posh Beverly Hills Hotel.
For the first time since their controversial draw in May of 2004, Pacquiao and Marquez will meet anew and probably trade dagger looks in front of the media.
The promoters, Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Scaheffer or Oscar dela Hoya of Golden Boy, will be there, too.
Marquez, who claims to be the rightful winner of the 2004 showdown, was expected in LA Monday evening, and should fly back to his Mexican headquarters after the press launch.
Before leaving for LA, Pacquiao trained four days in Gen. Santos City, saying it?s his way of waking up his muscles for the hard grind in the Hollywood gym owned by his trainer.
Word came out the other day that Pacquiao stands to receive the biggest paycheck of his career for his fight against Marquez, who agreed to a drastic pay cut just to get the rematch going.
Pacquiao, according to reports, can earn as much as $8.5 million or P348 million for this fight, but that?s if the pay-per-view sales reach the 500,000 barrier at $49.95 per hit.
Aside from the PPV sales, Pacquiao stands to earn more through his guaranteed purse, his shares on gate receipts and merchandise, and the TV rights in the Philippines.
