PACQUIAO: LIFE IN A FAST LANE
Next Opponent Will Be Known During Thanksgiving Dinner With Uncle Bob
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Nov 2007
CEBU CITY -- Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, making every minute of his life in a fast lane counts, played a late night basketball game Wednesday at the Cebu Coliseum after rushing to finish a movie shooting in Nueva Ecija and is scheduled to take a 14-hour trip to the United States tonight where he is expected to crisscross over 3,000 miles in 4 days to fullfill his commitments.
Pacquiao, who arrived in Cebu with his wife Jinkee and their children last night, scored 18 points to help his Pacman Team win against The House of Hope, 98-91, in a friendly basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Pacquiaos will take breather at the plush Waterfront Hotel today before flying to Manila in the afternoon where Pacquiao, close friend and confidant Rex 'Wakee' Salud, lawyer Jeng Gacal, business manager Eric Pineda and wife Macy, will leave via Philippine Airlines in the evening for Los Angeles where they are expected to arrive in the evening on the 22nd of November.
From Los Angeles, the entourage, who will have trainer Freddie Roach at this time, will then go to Las Vegas for an all-important Thanksgiving dinner date with Top Rank president Bob Arum Friday night where Pacquiao's next opponent will be decided. Remaining candidates as Pacquiao's next foe are WBC lightweight champ David Diaz and WBC super featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez.
Top photo: Pacquiao sets to make a free throw during last night's basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum.
Pacquiao (R) drives over a defender during last night's basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum.
The group will head back to Los Angeles Saturday for a closed-door filming of a Nike Commercial for Pacquiao at the Wildcard Gym. On Sunday, Pacquiao and entourange will go the the Nike headquarters in Oregon, described by many as the Disneyland of sports, where Pacquiao will meet with Nike executives and where he will undergo a series of tests at Nike science lab to determine the best fit of his Nike boxing shoes.
When the sun sets Sunday over the North American horizon, Nov. 25, Pacquiao would have hopefully accomplished all the tasks lined up for him in a short but gruelling visit to the US before heading back home for another 16-hour trip across the Pacific. Lost in translation during this whirlwind affair was a scheduled trip to Cabazon, CA where Manny's younger bother Bobby will be fighting a crossroad battle against the highly-touted Fernando Trejo at the Morongo Casino on Nov. 23. Manny wanted to be at Bobby's side but the trip may not just be physically possible.
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