I tried to spend some time talking to Manny Pacquiao today at his trainer Freddie Roach's gym in Hollywood, but the world's top pound-for-pound fighter had fallen asleep after a conference call so a publicist friend kindly extended a lunch invitation.
"Better get an appetizer," chimed in another publicist on the telephone as we drove to lunch.
That was at 1:30 p.m. At 6:45 p.m., this just in: Manny's still asleep.
In a training camp that has been knocked off its routine by tax-liability issues that forced Pacquiao to train in his native Philippines for 30 days instead of spending the usual eight weeks of pre-fight activity in Hollywood, Wednesday passed without much work.
The wasted day follows other camp slips, including a fight between Pacquiao's business manager and a cornerman and Roach scolding the fighter for dismissing his scheduling directions.
Meanwhile, in footage aired on HBO's "24/7," Pacquiao's Nov. 14 foe, world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has worked through more weeks of training, and appears more focused on the challenge at hand.
Roach, who was prepared to put Pacquiao through an intense workout after the boxer spent Wednesday morning running at UCLA, defused the significance of Wednesday's lengthy nap.
"I know he's sound asleep, and I've told the people with him to let him get the jet lag out of his system," Roach said, referring to their flight from the Philippines to Los Angeles this weekend. "A day off for a fighter sometimes is the best thing for him. I understand. I'm tired, too."
Roach discussed Pacquiao-Cotto and related matters in a video discussion I had with him today.
-- Lance Pugmire
(This article is originally posted at latimesblogs.latimes.com)
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