Pacman leaves LA in a huff

By Recah Trinidad Inquirer SACRAMENTO, California—Boxing officials and aficionados were shocked Saturday night upon receiving information that boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has bolted his Wild Card training camp and left in a huff for Manila. Unconfirmed reports said Pacquiao, who checked in for training in California on Aug. 7, had a quarrel with his long-time trainer Freddie Roach. There was also no information on what could have caused the spat, but sources said Pacquiao had tried to take an advance from his purse. The same sources said Pacquiao had requested for $1 million from promoter Bob Arum. “Manny has left,” Golden Boy Promotions vice-president Eric Gomez announced at the front desk lobby of the Best Western Sutter Hotel on 11th St. This was actually welcomed with relief, as those around him thought Gomez meant that Pacquiao had finally left Los Angeles for Sacramento to assume his duty as captain of the Philippine boxing team and grace Sunday night’s Boxing World Cup at the Arco Arena. It turned out, Pacquiao had gone missing. Pacquiao had earlier joined Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera at a Beverly Hills press conference to formally announce their Oct. 6 rematch at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Also present during the conference were promoters Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum. Pacquiao was supposed to fly to Sacramento immediately after the press conference to join the Filipino boxers seeing action against Mexican warriors today in the World Cup of boxing card at the Arco Arena in his capacity as RP team captain. A check in Manila with his business confidante Eric Pineda proved futile. He repeatedly claimed he did not know of Pacquiao’s whereabouts. “I doubt if the Barrera-Pacquiao fight would ever push through,” Gomez said after explaining he had checked with Bob Arum and Roach. “They both confirmed that Manny would be coming here to attend the fights,” Gomez explained absently. So far, RP team members, who had looked forward to having Pacquiao with the team at fight time, have not been informed of Pacquiao’s mysterious departure. Efforts were being exerted to check with the Philippine Airlines if Pacquiao had boarded a plane for Manila. With a report from Salven Lagumbay