GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—Mexican boxing fans either hate or love Manny Pacquiao. Very few don’t care.
This was evident Tuesday when they outnumbered and outscreamed the Filipinos during Pacquiao’s press workout at the Longhorn Exhibit Hall E of the Gaylord Texan Hotel here.
Though many of them came primarily to watch their compatriot and Pacquiao foe Antonio Margarito, who worked out at the same makeshift ring an hour earlier, majority stayed behind to watch the pound-for-pound king give a sample of what he can do to the former two-time world champion today at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
And they never left.
As a result, the crowd and the media tripled in size when Pacquiao started his training routine under the guidance of chief trainer Freddie Roach, conditioning expert Alex Ariza and Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez.
Occasionally chanting “Manny, Manny,” the crowd even urged the media to “Let Manny go,” as members of the press held Pacquiao captive for more than 20 minutes at the edge of the ring after the workout.
Afer the two-hour workout, that included banging the heavy and the double-end bag, they waited to either get his autograph or take his pictures.
Margarito also showed his drawing power when about 200 fans showed up for his workout with trainer Robert Garcia.
Still donning a sweatsuit, despite Garcia’s pronouncement that he weighed an exact 150 lb Tuesday morning, Margarito did his exercises, skipped ropes, shadow boxed and worked with the mitts hour in a one-hour routine.
Fernandez monitored Margarito’s workout and was hardly impressed.
“We’re smaller, but we definitely have the edge,” Fernandez said. “Soon, they will know that Manny never runs from a fight.”