LOS ANGELES, California -- Fans and media crowded at the Los Angeles Airport Philippine Airlines (PAL) gate Wednesday night, hoping to catch a glimpse of Manny Pacquiao.
Instead they got the runaround. Pacquiao snuck out of a backdoor to avoid the crowd.
“I'm glad we got so much fan support for Manny,” said Pacquiao’s Canadian manager, Michael Koncz. “I hope the fans understand he went out a different door. He's tired and wants to go home as quickly as possible.”
Pacquiao, along with wife Jinkee, are in the US to promote the upcoming May 7 fight against
“Sugar” Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.
The promotional tour will stop in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. But the most anticipated stop will be in Washington D.C. where he may meet with
President Barack Obama.
Top Rank and Koncz both say the meeting with Obama has not been finalized yet, but Pacquiao will meet with Nevada Senator Harry Reid, whom he campaigned for, and will visit the White House.
He is considering participating at the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
There is a possibility he will put his basketball skills on display during the celebrity All-Star game alongside Justin Bieber and Jimmy Kimmel.
“That’s something we talked about on the plane and he hasn't given me his final decision yet,” said Koncz.
The All-Star Celebrity game will take place on Saturday, February 19 (February 20 in Manila).
Pacquiao is scheduled to fly back to the Philippines on the Feb 18. If he does participate in the NBA-All Star, he will return to the Philippines after the NBA All-Star weekend.
