Lessons from Vegas

LAS VEGAS – In the wake of Manny Pacquiao’s win on points over Marco Antonio Barrera here last Saturday, here are 10 lessons to learn from the experience – five for the Filipino boxing icon and five for his growing entourage.

First, for Pacquiao.

1. Delegate the work of distributing fight tickets and hotel rooms to responsible staff. The night before the weigh-in, he was preoccupied with making sure his relatives, friends and fans had tickets and accommodations. Pacquiao should be spared from the stress of allocating tickets and checking if there are enough rooms available for his guests at least a week before a fight.

A source said Pacquiao spent $150,000 of his own money for tickets to give and also coughed up some more dough for at least 10 hotel rooms. The same source added he treated some 10 friends to free i-phones (about $500 each).

Pacquiao also spent a tidy sum to provide plane tickets for guests. In his fight contract, the promoters gave him only 10 hotel rooms and 10 plane tickets. Anything more than that was for Pacquiao’s account.

2. Start training in the US at least a month before a fight. Pacquiao often complained about the heat in Cebu where he mainly trained for the Barrera rematch. In preparing for a fight, one should get tired because of the conditioning process – not the heat. Perhaps, the working conditions had something to do with Pacquiao struggling to make the 130-pound limit.

In Cebu, it was difficult for Pacquiao not to accommodate his millions of fans. There were also invitations to appear on TV or guest in shows that somehow, couldn’t be turned down. In the US, the distractions are much less.

3. Work on the jab and footwork. Freddie Roach said he was pleased with the way Pacquiao handled Barrera. The punch stats showed Pacquiao threw 369 jabs to Barrera’s 338 and connected 22 percent to 12 percent for the Mexican. Yet it was evident Pacquiao had difficulty teeing off on the backtracking Barrera. He repeatedly lunged at Barrera, looking a little awkward and off-balance. Barrera could’ve taken advantage of the lapses but didn’t want to take chances. His goal was to end the fight on his feet and winning or losing wasn’t as important as picking up a fat paycheck in his swan song.

A more determined counter-punching opponent could’ve given Pacquiao some trouble because of his lunges. Roach later confided he would work on improving Pacquiao’s footwork, jab and strategy in cutting off the ring.

4. Listen to your advisers who are sincere in looking after your interests. If it’s true there are leeches in Pacquiao’s entourage who are abusing his generosity, they should be weeded out immediately. No second chances for thieves even if Pacquiao is known to be extremely forgiving.

Some advisers are out to protect their interests ahead of Pacquiao’s. They should realize their fortunes are hinged on his. Pacquiao’s the boss, nobody else. Once an adviser thinks he’s smarter than the boss, then it’s time to show him the door.

5. Define the roles of your staff. The rumor is the infighting within Pacquiao’s entourage is intense. A lot of intrigue and back-stabbing is supposedly going on in the war to slither closest to Pacquiao’s ear. To end this dysfunctional behavior, Pacquiao must put everyone in place. If there’s a need to crack the whip, then so be it.

Second, for his entourage.

1. Don’t abuse Pacquiao’s kindness. You know Pacquiao has no time to look into the affairs of every one in his expanding entourage, especially when he’s in training. So shenanigans may be overlooked. It’s unconscionable for anyone in his staff to betray him, fool him or rob him of his hard-earned money.

Remember, every centavo that Pacquiao earns comes from his blood, sweat and yes, tears, too.

2. Don’t hang around for glory. Please, don’t try to muscle your way into the limelight with Pacquiao. He deserves all the credit for his victories. Some sly members of his entourage wiggle themselves into position for photo-ops, cleverly tiptoeing behind Pacquiao just when the cameras are about to click. If you want to be in Pacquiao’s good graces, be satisfied in serving him selflessly – without public recognition. If you do your work well, the recognition will come sooner or later, perhaps from Pacquiao himself.

3. Don’t think of what Pacquiao can do for you but what you can do for him. You’re not the main man, he is. Some people think they’ve become as influential or powerful as Pacquiao because they’re part of his entourage. It’s the classic case of the rub-off syndrome.

Don’t badger Pacquiao for fight tickets, plane tickets, meal tickets or whatever kind of ticket. Wait for him to dispense whatever favor he wants to. Don’t second-guess him. He doesn’t deserve that from his entourage.

4. Don’t overstep your authority. Stay away from the others’ turf. In Pacquiao’s growing staff, there is work for everybody. No reason to stab one another in the back to move closer to his side. Intrigue will cause Pacquiao a lot of anxiety. A fighter doesn’t need that. He needs only to be focused in his career.

5. Be conscious of how you project yourself to the public. As a member of Pacquiao’s entourage, you are his mirror image. If you are arrogant and turn off his fans, it will reflect on Pacquiao.

Make no mistake about it, Pacquiao is a living legend and national hero. Whether you are a part of his entourage or only a fan, you must give him the respect and honor of someone with the ability to unify the Filipino people – regardless of politics, religious belief or ethnic roots – whenever he steps into the ring because he fights for all of us, for our country.