LOS ANGELES — Aside from the closed-door policy being practiced at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, the handlers of Manny Pacquiao have also made sure that the Filipino puncher do not get pestered with autograph-seeking fans.
Pacquiao, who takes on Mexican Hector Velazquez at the Staples Center on Sept. 10, has been quartered at The Palazzo, an upscale cluster of Spanish-inspired buildings just minutes away from the chic shops of Beverly Hills.
Visitors planning to check on Pacquiao will have to go through the proverbial eye of the needle as they have to pass through two gates that need special gadgets to gain entry. Even if they succeed in getting inside, they won’t be able to even get the chance of knocking on the boxer’s door.
“They also have to get a key,” said Pacquiao’s interpreter Joe Ramos, who is helping prevent unwelcomed visitors from bothering the GenSan lefty. “We have learned our lesson.”
“Enough is enough,” butted in sports correspondent Winchell Campos, who cooks for Pacquiao.
The two-bedroom apartment has a monthly pricetag of close to $4,000.
Interestingly, Pacquiao’s chief handler Shelly Finkel has advised the front desk not to install a phone line inside the plush unit that has a fireplace, two bathrooms, a fully-furnished kitchen, four-person dining table, washing machine, two TV sets, and dishwasher cum dryer.
Pacquiao used to stay at the Vagabond Inn, which is a stone’s throw away from the Wild Card, where he trains diligently under the watchful eye of Freddie Roach.
Early this year, as he prepared for Erik Morales, Pacquiao was billeted at the classy Sunset+Vine, where his apartment was turned into a bachelor’s pad.
Pacquiao lost to Morales and the presence of his friends took the blame.
Pacquiao himself is making the necessary steps.
“My door will be closed by 8 p.m.,” said Pacquiao, who then wakes up at 5:15 a.m. for his roadwork at the nearby Pan Pacific Park. He is joined in the morning jog by former fighter Jerry Balagbagan, who came in from Pensacola, Florida, and conditioning coach Justin Fortune.
