Boxing idol Manny Pacquiao, busy as ever even while not in training, failed to leave for the United States yesterday for a scheduled thanksgiving dinner and vital meeting with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum in Las Vegas.
A previous commitment to finish the shooting of his movie in Nueva Ecija forced the 28-year-old Pacquiao to reset his departure to a new date although further delay could hold back his planned Nike commercial shoot at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card gym.
?I failed to leave because I still have so many things to do. I just finished shooting in Nueva Ecija,? said Pacquiao as quoted by business manager Eric Pineda in Filipino.
?But I will leave for the US in the next few days,? Pacquiao said.
Close friend and confidant Rex ?Wakee? Salud said that Pacquiao plans to leave tonight aboard a Philippine Airlines flight.
Pacquiao is set to have a thanksgiving dinner with Arum in Las Vegas at which they are to decide on his March 15 opponent with David Diaz reportedly having the edge, according to Philboxing.com.
Team Pacquiao is said to be inclined on taking on Diaz, the WBC lightweight champion, as Pacquiao?s next opponent. The tentative date will be March 15, 2008 but the venue has yet to be decided.
Pacquiao is also eyeing a rematch with WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
