LAS VEGAS, Nevada, United States of America — An innocent pre-fight retina check yesterday exposed serious team trouble that has threatened to diminish Manny Pacquiao’s chances against Erik Morales in their showdown.
Pacquiao refused the eye drop required in the test for fear it would blur his vision all the way to his big fight on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
His refusal led to the swapping of vicious charges between his old and new backers.
Cornerman Lito Mondejar attested that Pacquiao had refused to follow a directive from the Nevada State Athletic Commission because a strong liquid used in a previous process had “rendered him half-blind for three days.”
The eye test, required of all boxers fighting in Nevada, should have been conducted much earlier, not three days before the fight, Mondejar said.
Somebody in Team Pacquiao goofed.
With the Pacquiao refusal, tension gripped the promotion after it was announced that the Filipino fighter would be barred from entering the ring on Saturday if he did not undergo the medical requirements.
Next came fears of a fight cancellation.
Roach blamed
Mondejar blamed trainer Freddie Roach whom he accused of failing to follow the medical requirements during training in Los Angeles.
“This is unforgivable, they should’ve not let this happen,” Mondejar said.
Interviewed by the Inquirer, Roach claimed Pacquiao had been properly checked but his papers were lost by the California clinic that did it.
The California check-up was supposedly done on March 4.
However, promoter Murad Muhammad and business manager Rod Nazario got mad after they learned that Roach had allegedly lied.
The two, members of the old set of Pacquiao backers, allegedly discovered that no medical check was done on Pacquiao in California. Others in the old group were Mondejar and Moy Lainez, technical adviser.
New group
With the eye check-up issue raging, the outspoken Murad proceeded to lash at the new group that has taken over Pacquiao’s affairs, composed of manager Shelly Finkel, lawyer Keith Davidson, publicist Winchell Campos and trainer Roach.
“He (Roach) did not pay attention to his responsibilities and we did not know this until we were told by the commission,” Murad said. “I feel bad because, every fight, we make sure that our athlete has the edge mentally, physically, medically.”
Nazario, head of the original group that charted Pacquiao to stardom, has not been seeing the boxer whom he has treated like a son, although they both stay at the MGM Grand here.
“We don’t know what’s going on,” Murad rued. “What disturbs me is that we had bond, unity, and love.”
With the confusion threatening to escalate, Murad was quick to stress that it was neither his nor Nazario’s fault.
“Hindi na kagaya dati (It’s no longer like before),” said Mondejar of the original group.
He said he has stopped visiting Pacquiao in his room at the MGM Grand that has been dominated by a group of young hangers-on.
There used to be strict procedure under the old group.
Seen gambling
The prevailing loose set-up was first exposed when Pacquiao was seen gambling in the black jack section of the MGM casino after breakfast earlier in the week while a band of hangers-on cheered behind him.
This was the same gang that had endangered the boxer’s health after it had allowed Pacquiao to be driven around by a member who was visibly going down with the flu for days on end.
Pacquiao’s limbs were also put at great risk when the same driver delivered Manny at a killing pace from Los Angeles to here.
The strange set-up inside Team Pacquiao was further confirmed yesterday through the snobbish treatment given by Joseph Ramos, a new Pacquiao hanger-on, who turned away members of the Manila media when they requested for a small statement from the boxing star.
“No comment, no comment,” said Ramos who claimed Pacquiao was fast asleep, although there were loud voices behind the door when the media group knocked.
He stressed, peeping through a gap in the door, there’s no way media could talk to his boss.
Meanwhile, it was learned that Pacquiao did take the required check-up after his final gym afternoon workout yesterday.
Mayor Pedro Acharon, who managed to talk later to Pacquiao, said the fighter was re lieved when a diluted eye solution, a lot lighter, was applied on his eye. Six centiliters of blood were also taken for HIV check purposes.
If it’s any consolation, Nazario, whom Pacquiao continues to call Pop, chanced upon the famous fighter on the ground floor the other day.
Pacquiao rushed to Nazario and hugged his trusted former handler.
Pacquiao definitely wanted to have more of Nazario around him. But he no longer seemed in control, if not totally lost.
There’s a strong likelihood Nazario and Pacquiao, inseparable before, would be reunited again in today’s official weigh-in.
