Lucas training off-limits to media

KUALA LUMPUR – Filipino mediamen were shooed away, as politely as possible, and were denied access to Lucas Matthysse’s gym session Tuesday morning here.

Matthysse graced the arrival ceremony at the packed lobby of Le Meridien, greeted with music and dancers wearing indigenous Malaysian costume.

The welterweight champion from Argentina, who will face boxing legend Manny Pacquiao on Sunday at the Axiata Arena, was cheered, and jeered, by a dominant Pinoy crowd.

“Matthysse, magsisisi ka! (Matthysse, you will regret this),” shouted a male fan as the champion was ushered through the crowd. Then he disappeared in a hallway. Pacquiao made his grand entrance 30 minutes after Matthysse had left. Purple flowers hung from his neck as he smiled and greeted his fans.

Familiar chants of “Pac-man! Pac-man!” filled the lobby of the chic hotel.

After a very short while, the Filipino senator was brought up to his suite to join his family, now in town from a short vacation in Singapore.

Pacquiao flew in from Manila Monday night, and opted to rest the morning after. He skipped going to the gym as well but planned to go jogging in the afternoon.

Filipino mediamen were told that Matthysse was available for interview. But as they got to the makeshift gym, they were told it’s not going to happen.

Ramiro Gonzalez, PR director of Golden Boy Promotions, said Matthysse would no longer speak to mediamen until Thursday’s final press conference.

The former sportswriter for La Opinon, a Spanish-language newspaper in the US, had provided the mediamen with information on Matthysse.

“I already gave you enough quotes good for five stories,” he said.

Later on, Gonzalez, through Viber, shared a 15-second video clip of the reigning WBA welterweight champion working the heavy bag.

Nothing more.