Manny off to LA with banged-up right hand

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao headed back to Los Angeles Sunday evening, exactly 24 hours after he stretched his winning streak in Sin City to five matches over the last two years.

Pacquiao has fought in Vegas eight times, winning six, losing once and drawing once.

He made his debut in this gambling capital of the world in 2001 and scored an unbelievable knockout win over the highly-favored Lehlo Ledwaba.

Then he returned three years later to draw with Juan Manuel Marquez and another year after, in 2005, to lose a bloody 12-round decision to Erik Morales.

But Pacquiao has never lost in Vegas since that cold night of March 19. He bounced back with two knockout wins over Morales 11 months apart in 2006, a unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2007 and a split decision over Marquez last March.

The victories over Barrera and Marquez both came at the Events Center of Mandalay Bay, and last Saturday’s, a devastating ninth-round knockout of David Diaz, was his third straight win in this majestic hotel.

“Maybe Mandalay is a lucky venue for me,” he said.

Pacquiao stayed up late after beating Diaz to a pulp, and in the morning was greeted by a sea of friends and supporters who came to join him in the Mass that was held inside his suite.

Pacquiao said he was able to talk to President Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo who both congratulated him for a masterful win.

More than a hundred people crammed the suite, and outside down the hall more of them waited for a chance to get a glimpse of their idol.

Pacquiao had his pictures taken with them, but begged off from signing autographs because his right hand was bandaged.

“I hurt my hand punching Diaz. I hurt it landing too many rights,” said Pacquiao who stayed in his suite all day before leaving for an Imelda Papin concert in a nearby hotel. He sang his favorite “Para Sa Inyo Ang Laban Na Ito” during the concert.

Then he returned to THE Hotel of Mandalay Bay, gathered some friends to say goodbye, and pushed for LA, which was four hours away, on board his gray Navigator with wife Jinkee, her twin sister Janette, and companion Joaquin Hagedorn.

Pacquiao is expected to drop by the Wild Card Gym Monday to meet up with trainer Freddie Roach, and all those who helped in his training.

On Wednesday, he flies home to Manila.