LOS ANGELES-Wherever he goes, droves of fans not necessarily of Filipino descent try to catch a piece of one of the most exciting fighters in the world-Manny Pacquiao.
Whether he is dining out or training hard in the gym, fans come in droves trying to ask for his autograph or take a snapshot at the “Pacman” with cameras and cellular phones. And Pacquiao, the “People’s Champion,” feeds off from the attention.
Monday afternoon, Pacquiao did five rounds with the mitts and had some weight training trying to add up some extra muscle because he is moving up in weight to face super-featherweight ex-champion and Mexican legend Erik Morales. Fight night is set on March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
With the trickle of fans getting bigger each passing day, Wild Card Gym owner and Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach asked for some consideration from fans and supporters and allow him and Pacquiao to train privately from Monday to Friday.
As a concession, Roach and Pacquiao conceded to give fans their field day every Saturday where they can interact, pose for photos and ask for autographs.
“That is just fair. Manny needs to get into shape without getting distracted,” said Rev. Fr. Marlon of the Order of Recollects, one of the many who watched Pacquiao Monday.
Space at the Wild Card gym is limited and fan activity could also eat up training space to the other boxers who call this gym “home.”
Like in his previous pre-fight preparations, Pacquiao’s presence has attracted a record-number of viewing fans never seen here, forcing Roach to make some crowd-control measures.
“This is one of the biggest fights for Manny and one of the most important. We want him to be in the best shape of his career,” said Roach.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Pacquiao was irked by some reports that he has gone missing, saying he is in command of the situation.
Pacquiao traveled to San Francisco Saturday to meet with a member of his team and iron out some important matters. He took the day off last Saturday with the blessing of Roach and some other members of his team and family.
Pacquiao is also set to go to Mexico City tomorrow to promote his fight pending the approval of their Mexican visas.
