Pacman whisked out of airport

BEVERLY HILLS – All the fans who came to welcome Manny Pacquiao at the LAX came home empty-handed Wednesday evening.

The Filipino pound-for-pound champion, here for the start of the four-city, six-day press tour for his May 7 fight with Shane Mosley, did a Houdini act when airport authorities whisked him out with no one even noticing.

A big group of Filipinos had waited at the airport since 6 p.m. and had to bear with the delay of the flight carrying Pacquiao, his wife Jinkee and six other companions on a 12-hour trip from Manila.

It was the first time that Pacquiao did not emerge from the arrival area of the LAX. Instead, he and Jinkee were seen being led to a side door by airport authorities after they stepped out of the immigration line.

Even Top Rank spinners Lee Samuels and Richard Jimenez seemed clueless why Pacquiao had to evade the welcoming group. A CBS crew that was to take footages supposed to be aired Thursday morning also got nothing.

“It was the first time he did that. But it doesn’t matter. The press tour doesn’t start until tomorrow,” said Wild Card security officer Rob Peters who had to run up and down the arrival area looking for signs of Pacquiao.

The press tour kicks off Thursday at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the following day Pacquiao and his exclusive entourage will take a private plane to Las Vegas for a Feb. 12 press conference at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao and Mosley will be at the Chelsea Pier in New York on Valentine’s Day, and the following day the Filipino congressman takes a three-hour train ride to Washington for a planned visit to the White House.

In his $2 million residence there was no stopping his LA-based friends from crowding Pacquiao. It looks like someone had sprayed laughing gas over the group who had all the fun being with the champion once more.

Alex Ariza, the strength and conditioning coach who was reported to be in trouble with some members of Team Pacquiao, came by, and left the mansion with a smile.

It seemed that all’s well between him and Pacquiao. They hugged and tapped each other’s shoulders, whispered things to each other, and were seen discussing that must have something to do with the upcoming fight.

“You saw it. It’s not like I’m having trouble with Manny and him now knowing it,” said Ariza, who pointed his finger at Pacquiao’s cutman, Miguel Diaz, who recently hinted that Ariza was on his way out.

“Who’s he to say that and call me a fraud?” Ariza said.