Manny says he’s thorn of Mexico

LAS VEGAS — In a light moment before retiring to his bedroom to sleep the other night, Manny Pacquiao described himself as the thorn in Mexico’s throat.

It was his way of consoling Filipino support Cris Aquino who flew in from Manila with 41 "Team Pacquiao" jackets for the fighter’s entourage only to be charged $800 by a Hispanic US customs official here.

Aquino said the official was obviously a Erik Morales sympathizer.

"I declared the items," said Aquino. "I didn’t hide anything. I told him the jackets are for Manny’s entourage and not for commercial purposes. But he gave me a hard time. He probably didn’t like it when I told him Manny would win."

The jackets and even Aquino’s personal clothes were temporarily impounded by the authorities. Aquino said he hopes the jackets, at least, will be released before the fight.

Aquino said his consolation in paying the $800 penalty fee will come when Pacquiao knocks out Morales.

Manny told Aquino he’ll do it. "Ako ang tinik sa lalamunan ng Mexico," said Pacquiao as the well-wishers in his two-bedroom Wynn Las Vegas Hotel luxury suite applauded.

Pacquiao has been the scourge of Mexican fighters since disposing of Gabriel Mira in the fourth round in a World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title defense at the Araneta Coliseum in 1999. His other Mexican victims were Emmanuel Lucero, Marco Antonio Barrera and Hector Velasquez. Pacquiao decked Juan Manuel Marquez thrice in the first round but the fight wound up a draw in 2004.

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The day before the weigh-in, Pacquiao went to the IBA Gym on Euclid street, about a 10-minute drive from the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel, for a brief one-hour light afternoon workout.

Pacquiao’s trusted cornerman Buboy Fernandez said he went four rounds with the punch mitts, skipped rope, banged away at the speedball and did some calisthenics to sweat.

For lunch that day, he had soup, two oranges and two hard-boiled eggs. And for dinner, the menu was tinolang manok, papaya and malunggay.

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Pacquiao’s luxury suite — described by his marketing representative Eric Pineda as "fit for a king" — is huge with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious foyer and a living area with two long sofas. There is also a corner nook for snacks, a bar and a desk-top computer. It overlooks the Las Vegas skyline and a picture window frames the breathtaking view.

Pacquiao’s bedroom is large and comfortable. It has a walk-in dressing room and a bathroom.

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Pacquiao spent a few minutes watching the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings on TV the other night. He spoke highly of Kings guard Mike Bibby. When not training for a fight, Pacquiao plays guard for his Pacman team which is highly-rated in the tough Mindanao leagues.

One of the questions he asked Manila visitors was what the public mood is like back home.

"Everyone’s talking about the fight and praying for you to win," said a visitor. "Over 40 movie theaters showing the fight are all sold out."

Pacquiao smiled and nodded his head as if to say he’ll do his best not to disappoint his countrymen.

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WBC lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria’s manager Gary Gittelsohn predicted that if the rematch is close, Pacquiao will win the decision to assure a third match against Morales.

"It’ll be a great fight because neither fighter is a quitter," said Gittelsohn. "Both fighters want to win but in the end, the winner will be the fighter who wants it more."

Viloria, 25, takes a break from training camp to make his broadcast debut on the Solar Sports-ABS-CBN simultaneous telecast of the rematch as a TV commentator. At Northern Michigan University, he did radio and TV commentary for varsity games in football and basketball. So Viloria’s not unfamiliar with the medium.

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Wynn Las Vegas Hotel owner Steve Wynn is suffering from an incurable congenital eye disease and reportedly has "tunnel vision" by day and no vision at all by night. "Tunnel vision" is like seeing out of a peephole.

Wynn, 64, is considered the architect of Las Vegas’ transformation from being a Sin City to a wholesome entertainment capital. He teamed up with Howard Hughes in 1971 to acquire a major investment in the landmark Golden Nugget Casino which was later converted into a Four Diamond resort known for elegance and personal service.