Manny Pacquiao Slips Away to Coach San Diego Basketball Team

Right after arrival in Los Angeles from a month-long training in the Philippines, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao took off to San Diego to coach his own basketball team in an exhibition game.

As planned, Pacquiao was supposed to take a rest for a day after a long trip from the Philippines. The report did not say whether coach Freddie Roach was informed of Pacquiao's travel to San Diego.

Outside of boxing, Pacquiao loves to play basketball.The Filipino ring icon has his own basketball team in the Philippines. When time permits, he tries to be with his team during the games.

During his month-long training in Baguio City in the Philippines, Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, told him his late night basketball games were getting in the way of his training for his Nov. 13 fight with Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao is now on the second phase of his training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles before he heads to Arlington, Texas for the final stretch of his rigorous training.

Last week, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, flew to Manila to monitor the progress of Pacquiao's training in Baguio City where members of Team Pacquiao were holed up for the month-long training.

Pacquiao was with his sparring partners Michael Medina and Glen Tapia, who were later joined by British ring icon, Amir Khan.

Arum said Pacquiao would lose to Antonio Margarito if the fight were held at the time of his arrival in Manila. Pacquiao did not have the same speed he had during his previous fights, Arum added.

Pacquiao’s nightly basketball games while training in Baguio and two weekend trips to Manila to fulfill various commitments had raised concern from his trainer, Freddie Roach, and conditioning coach, Alex Arriza.

Pacquiao is set to spar with undefeated junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan, who is expected to test the Filipino boxer's speed and power. He hopes to knock down Pacquiao and pocket the $1,000 prize put up by coach Freddie Roach for anyone of Pacquiao's sparring mates who can knock down the pound-for-pound king.

In the meantime, talks of Pacquiao's retirement after his fight with Antonio Margarito surfaced when coach Freddie Roach said Pacquiao could be considering a career shift.

In one of their private conversations in Baguio City, Roach said Manny told him how he misses his work in Congress. Roach feels a career shift for his favorite student is in the offing.

But critics say Pacquiao is not about to give up his boxing career so soon. They said Pacquiao will have a hard time deciding on the huge amount of money he stands to lose if he retires right after facing Antonio Margrito.

Pacquiao stands to lose at least a hundred million dollars if he quits this year. Boxing critics say he is good for two or three more high-profile fights including a possible clash with Floyd Mayweather, Jr next year.