LOS ANGELES — He looked perfectly fine, ready to rumble. But it did not come as a surprise when Manny Pacquiao, who slept practically through the entire Manila-LAX flight Saturday, announced he would take to the road Sunday.
There were no scheduled workouts Monday, and Wild Card people said Pacquiao would not be coming to the famous gym until Tuesday here for the remaining push in his preparations against Marco Antonio Barrera.
But although he had been described as already in peak form, Pacquiao obviously does not want to risk losing a bit of his competitive edge.
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Pacquiao arrived here on schedule wearing a light, long-sleeved shirt, jeans, black shoes and familiar jewelry — and his now-famous goatee.
He was joined in the trip by trainer Freddie Roach, deputy trainer Buboy Fernandez, chief aide Jake Joson, and the two Mexicans who helped Pacquiao in his Cebu workouts.
Roach had himself made the assurance that Pacquiao, who has completed a total of 111 rounds of sparring, is a hundred percent ready.
But the Filipino warrior must?ve been fully aware of the killer regimen Barrera has been undergoing in a secluded workplace in Guadalajara.
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Pacquiao motored straight to his Palazzo apartment on the classy side of La Brea, where he was received in merriment by his entire staff, with whom he shared a dinner of chicken adobo (no pork), rice and soup.
He was still up shortly before midnight and staffer Alex Oreto said it should only be a limbering run for his generous boss today in a nearby park, no longer around the hilly, trying Griffith terrain.
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If there had been misgivings on the wisdom of Pacquiao?s decision to pitch camp in Cebu for the core of his training against Barrera, these were all dashed after he emerged visibly more vigorous from the experimental stint.
Pacquiao, said Buboy Fernandez, was only at 133 lbs., three over the super featherweight limit, when they boarded in Manila.
Pacquiao?s lovely wife, Jinkee, saw the great warrior off, and was expected to follow shortly.
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After another week at Wild Card, Pacquiao is scheduled to motor to Las Vegas after hearing mass here on Sunday.
There were actually shallow suggestions the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where the Oct. 6 showdown will be staged, could be propitious for Pacquiao.
All for the simple fact that Barrera has lost two previous fight in the same venue.
But Barrera, swearing these hints were all silly, did not hide the fury he has harnessed since he suffered his first knockout defeat against Pacquiao four years ago.
Barrera has repeatedly called Pacquiao an ugly thorn on his side.
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It was drizzly here the whole day Sunday and there were gusts of wind. But conditions were already mild and dry when Pacquiao planed in.
On Friday, the Associated Press said intensity was ?highly uncertain? regarding the hurricane that hovered over the Mexican peninsula, not too far from here.
The LA Times on Saturday said an ?unseasonably cold storm hovers offshore? that could unleash showers across the Southland, which includes this capital.
There was uncertain weather, the forecasters maintained.
Well, this may sound corny mainly to Mexican fight fans.
But the typhoon from the Pacific, as the eminent Larry Merchant had described Pacquiao, that quietly blew into town Sunday has not dissipated a bit.
Pacquiao has refused to sound out a warning.
But, quiet as his return has been, the Pacman is back with renewed fury.
