MANNY Pacquiao and his entourage left for Las Vegas from Los Angeles, California yesterday for his highly-anticipated rematch with Erik Morales this Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila time) at the Thomas & Mack Center in world’s gambling capital.
A long convoy of cars, with Pacquiao ` on board his brand new Porsche ` leading the pack, arrived amidst a festive welcome at the Wynn Resort and Casino, where the Filipino southpaw and his team will be billeted for the rest of the week.
Pacquiao had a light workout Sunday afternoon and even hosted a lunch at the famed Max’s of Manila in Glendale for his entourage, friends and a handful of mediamen from Manila.
Morales is expected to arrive in Las Vegas tomorrow on a private jet from his training camp in Mexico City.
A press conference will then be held on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time) to add hype and drama to the second installment of what had been voted as the Most Dramatic Fight of 2005.
Pacquiao and Morales fought before a sell-out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Hotel in Las Vegas March 19 of last year, with the Mexican slugger winning the 12-round, super-featherweight bout behind a close but unanimous decision win.
The pride of General Santos City expressed confidence the result would be different this time around.
“Huwag lang tayong maputukan, kaya nating manalo,” admitted the 27-year old fighter, who suffered a nasty cut during his first meeting with Morales that bothered him for the rest of the fight.
Arriving with Pacquiao in Las Vegas were trainer Freddie Roach, cornerman Buboy Fernandez, confidant Wakee Salud, training assistant Nonoy Neri and wife Jinkee.
Neri, on his first trip to the US, arrived in Los Angeles together with Jinkee, both of whom were fetched by Pacquiao at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) late Sunday afternoon.
Pacquiao, owner of an impressive 40-3 record including 33 by knockout, is fighting for the first time since stopping Mexican Hector Velasquez in the sixth round of their non-title bout in Staples Center in Los Angeles last September.
Fighting under the same card, Morales, 48-3 with 31 KOs, dropped a stunning unanimous decision loss to Olympian Zahir Raheem.
A 7-5 favorite when the rematch was formally announced last November, the betting odds have suddenly turned against the Filipino. In the latest odds posted at the Sin City, Morales is now a 10-8 favorite to repeat over Pacquiao.
