LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao got stuck in Los Angeles, failing to board the private jet that was to fly him to Sin City, and opting to take a four-hour drive at around midnight of Friday.
His chief adviser, Mike Koncz, said Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, had a photo shoot somewhere in LA, that kept her out until 6 p.m. As of 10 p.m. here Friday, Pacquiao was still resting at home.
“Manny said we leave at midnight,” said Koncz.
They were supposed to board the private plane to Vegas at 5 p.m. Instead, the plane left for the boxing capital with Top Rank chief Bob Arum, head trainer Freddie Roach and just a couple of others.
But none of Pacquiao. And no problem with that.
Shane Mosley, meanwhile, took a commercial plane from LA at 5:30 p.m. and after a quick 65-minute flight was in Vegas along with Top Rank quarterback Lee Samuels and publicist Fred Sternburg.
Unlike Pacquiao, the 39-year-old Mosley carried with him a very lean, quiet entourage, including his adviser, rap mogul James Prince, and his publicist, Suzanne Summerville, who is actually Filipina.
From the airport, Mosley and company took three five-door limousines that took them to the MGM Grand.
Pacquiao and Mosley will mark the second day of their press tour Saturday with a 3 p.m. promotional gig at the Grand Garden Arena, the venue of their scheduled showdown on May 7.
The event is open to the public, unlike the first one at the Beverly Hills Hotel last Thursday when close to 300 members of the media packed the Rodeo Room for a two-hour press conference.
On Sunday evening, everybody takes a commercial flight to New York for another event at the Chelsea Pier on Monday, Valentine’s Day. It’s on to Washington early evening, on board a train.