LOS ANGELES ? Las Vegas is rolling out the red carpet for Manny Pacquiao and his entourage early Monday night, five days before his HBO Pay-PerView showdown with Mexican Erik Morales at the ultra-chic MGM Grand. Pacquiao will lead the parade of vehicles roaring off from the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood at 1:30 p.m. A VIP check in is already in place for Pacquiao and his handlers at 6 p.m.
An HBO television crew will be posted at the main lobby of the MGM Grand to shoot Pacquiao?s arrival.
On Tuesday, it will be the turn of Morales to take the spotlight as he checks in at the same hotel at 5:30 p.m. straight from Mexico City. He will be arriving by private jet.
The Filipino is going to start Monday with an early-morning jog and by 11 a.m., he should be at the Wild Card for his last sparring session.
Joining the 300-mile trip to Las Vegas are his chief trainer Freddie Roach, conditioning coach Justin Fortune, cutman Lenny de Jesus, business manager Rod Nazario and sons Boying and Dodie, Lito Mondejar, Moy Lainez, Gerry Garcia and also supporters who watched over him day in and day out.
Yesterday, Pacquiao head Mass at Christ the King, then ate lunch at Barrio Fiesta and spent the rest of the afternoon shopping with members of his entourage at The Citadel, an outlet store some 25 minutes away from his residence.
Pacquiao, 26, spent a total of $2,000 (R110,000) on signature-label jeans and slacks, shirts and bought a Matrix-like trench coat for himself which he said he intends to wear back home.
After the shopping spree, Pacquiao went back to his pad and after a light dinner, headed to the Los Angeles Airport to fetch his wife, Jinkee, who had flown in at 6:10 p.m. on board a Philippine Airlines jet from Manila.
As soon as she stepped inside the apartment with a monthly rental of $4,000, Jinkee arranged the clothes that his champion husband is bringing to Las Vegas.
Less than a week before the big event, Jinkee remains unperturbed when asked about the upcoming fight.
“Mananalo ?yan si Manny,” said Jinkee as she picked up a stone-washed blue, low-rise Levi?s denim on top of a charcoal-gray Bass pair of jeans.
Pacquiao was also busy packing his stuff and at one time contemplated on which among the five pairs of identical Pony-brand white boxing shoes he will bring to the City of Entertainment.
This is going to be the third time Pacquiao is going to show his wares in Las Vegas, the first being in June 2001 when, as a heavy underdog, he mauled Lehlo Ledwaba to win the International Boxing Federation super-bantam crown.
The second time he fought at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Pacquiao was held to a 12-round split draw by Juan Manuel Marquez in May 2004.
Pacquiao remains a 6-5 favorite over Morales on the strength of his 11th round destruction of Marco Antonio Barrera in Nov. 2003 in Texas.
It is expected that the odds will change two or one day before the fight because of the influx of Mexican money.
