Pacquiao receives Holyfield before leaving for Vegas

HOLLYWOOD – Before leaving for Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao received a surprise guest at his La Palazzo apartment - Evander Holyfield, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,

It’s no secret that Holyfield is a Manny Pacquiao admirer.

In fact, he once said that whoever fights the Filipino superstar gets into trouble. And that includes Juan Manuel Marquez, who’s next in line for Pacquiao.

Holyfield, the five-time heavyweight champion, visited Pacquiao at his La Palazzo apartment Sunday, as the latter prepared for his trip to Las Vegas.

Pacquiao lent Holyfield an ear.

Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, said Holyfield dropped by around noontime, and shared the table with Pacquiao as the curious gathered around them.

The visit did not last long, and what the two fighters talked about wasn’t immediately known.

But in a previous interview with www.8countnews.com , Holyfield warned Marquez of what to expect once the opening bell sounds next Saturday in Las Vegas.

“If you fight Manny Pacquiao, you better be ready. If you ain’t ready, you are in trouble. When that bell rings, he is coming. He is coming and he is going to throw a lot of punches at you.”

Holyfield said he likes Pacquiao because of his ways in and out of the ring.

“He is a great ambassador for the sport of boxing. The way in which he carries himself and how he treats his fans is what separates him from the rest.”

Holyfield’s unexpected visit came three days after Kobe Bryant, the NBA superstar, dropped by at the Wild Card Gym to watch Pacquiao train.

Over the past week, more than a couple of Hollywood stars came to see Pacquiao at the gym, including Mark Wahlberg, John Cho and Giovanni Ribisi.

There’s more of them to be seen on fight night.

Pacquiao spars for the last time at the famous Hollywood sweatshop Monday before taking the 300-mile trip to Vegas.

It’s fight week, and in a matter of days, the year’s biggest fight unfolds. It’s the third time Pacquiao and Marquez will square off, and there’s even the possibility of a fourth.

If Marquez wins and shocks the world, the fight contract calls for a rematch in six months.

But it’s far off the mind of the 38-year-old Marquez.

“First, third (fight), then fourth,” he said.

Pacquiao laughed it off.

“Fourth fight? Tingnan muna natin kung may ibubuga siya sa fight na ito (First, let’s see if he has something to show in this fight),” he said. (From Philstar.com)