Manny Pacquiao’s visit to Cebu was an eventful affair, far from the planned low-profile stop the boxing icon’s host had wanted.
Cebuano fans trooped and mobbed the boxing superstar upon his arrival at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 10 a.m. yesterday until the time he checked in to rest at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Even his visit to Sun.Star Cebu’s offices did not spare the General Santos City native from prosperity poses and autograph signing.
Manila bound
“What else can I do? Manny is a celebrity and I cannot stop those people from greeting their hero,” Pacquiao’s host in Cebu, boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, told Sun.Star Cebu.
Pacquiao, his wife Jinkee and sons Emmanuel Jr. and Michael Stephen will leave at 10 a.m. today for Manila. The Pacquiaos will leave on Saturday and will rendezvous with trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
A large crowd packed the space-challenged RWS Gym in Punta Princesa to watch Pacquiao train for two hours.
“Even at the gym, I had a detailed plan to allow only a few people to watch Manny do his training. People begged, especially children, who wanted to watch Manny work out,” Salud said.
Pacquiao did speedball, punching bag, and skipped ropes before doing punch mitts with Nonoy Neri. The sound of his punches were music to his fans, who came equipped with cameras and posters seeking autographs and pictures.
To others, shaking Pacquiao’s hands made their day.
Overwhelming
“I want to thank the Cebuanos especially sir Wakee for their continued support. I hope they will continue to support me and pray for me in my coming fight. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be welcomed this warmly,” Pacquiao told Sun.Star Cebu.
On his upcoming fight with Mexican Hector Velasquez, Pacquiao said, “I have a pretty good chance of winning. Velasquez is slow; although, he is a dirty fighter. I am confident I will win.”
The Pacquiao-Velasquez fight is the other half of a blockbuster event by Top Rank Promotions on Sept. 10 (Sept. 11 in RP) at the Staples Center in Los Angles, California. Also in the card is Erik Morales, who will go up against Zahir Raheem.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is working on a Pacquiao-Morales rematch in December.
