Manny set to leave for US tonite

Three-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is set to leave for the US on a Philippine Airlines flight tonight and embark on a whirlwind tour of key US cities and Mexico to promote his Jan. 21 fight against Erik Morales in Las Vegas.

But the trip may be cancelled if Pacquiao receives a confirmation from promoter Bob Arum that the tour is off before his scheduled departure.

If the trip is aborted, close associate Rex (Wakee) Salud said Pacquiao will leave Manila for General Santos City today then fly to Cebu to formally open a training camp tomorrow with long-time cornerman Buboy Fernandez monitoring the workouts.

Arum, who is promoting the Pacquiao-Morales fight at the Thomas and Mack Center, initially planned for the Filipino hero to be at ringside for the world heavyweight title fight between Vitaly Klitschko and Hasim Rahman in Las Vegas tomorrow. It would’ve been the kickoff of a week-long promotional tour.

But the Klitschko-Rahman fight was scrapped when the Ukrainian champion suffered a knee injury during a recent sparring session. Klitschko underwent a 1 1/2 hour surgery in Inglewood, California, last Tuesday and Dr. Neal Elattrache, director of Sports Medicine at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, repaired a new rupture in a torn anterior cruciate ligament and damage to the medial meniscus in the right knee. When Klitschko was told he would be out of action for six months, he announced his retirement from the ring last Wednesday.

After the cancellation of the Klitschko-Rahman bout, Pacquiao phoned Los Angeles-based assistant Joe Ramos to ask Arum if the promotional tour would go on because if not, he would begin training for Morales in Cebu tomorrow. The plan is to train alternately at the Aldeguer and Salud gyms.

Salud said he will billet Pacquiao in his unit at the Winland Condomium in uptown Cebu City during his training.

If Pacquiao leaves for the US tonight, he is expected to be back on Nov. 18. Salud planned to accompany Pacquiao on the trip but his visa has expired and his US Embassy appointment is not scheduled until late this month.

Pacquiao was busy being filmed for a TV commercial endorsing Circulan, a capsule to enhance blood circulation, in Manila yesterday. A Pacquiao insider said it was his eighth endorsement contract. In the last four weeks, he shot sequences for his personal TV show ‘Manny Pacquiao–Sports Idol’ which premiers Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. on IBC-13.

Salud said it’s likely Arum will insist for Pacquiao to join Morales in the promotional tour. Pacquiao’s appearance in the tour is stipulated in his fight contract. He will be paid a purse of $2 million for the bout but could earn as much as $4 million more to include his share in the pay-per-view proceeds and site fee. – Joaquin Henson.