Pacmania

LOS ANGELES — You know the fight is fast approaching when you get to be on the same flight with some of Manny Pacquiao’s family and closest associates.

Ten days before Pacquiao makes an ambitious bid to become a world champion at age 46, I found myself on the Philippine Airlines flight here on Wednesday with Pacquiao’s lawyers, brothers Jeng and Glenn Gacal.

Also on board was Pacquiao’s sister Isidra, who joins a growing number of family members here all excited to watch the beloved Filipino icon in action against Mario Barrios next week in Las Vegas.

In the coming days, more are expected to plane in, all eager to rally behind this bold bid to run away with Barrios’s World Boxing Council welterweight title at the MGM Grand.

Some of them will go straight to Sin City, unfazed by the lopsided odds and thrilled to place their bets on a victory by the eight-division legend.

The odds are stacked against Pacquiao.

Can’t blame the oddsmakers from coming up with those crazy numbers.

Barrios is not just young at 30 years but is likewise sharp and fresh, qualities that make him the solid favorite and Pacquiao, the clear underdog.

Anyway, when it was officially announced that he was fighting in May, the response of the public was just average.

But based on the latest internet traffic, the fight has caught on with the boxing world, making it a must-see event next week.

In fact, the request for tickets is staggering.

So far, my Messenger is already swamped with ticket requests, leaving me a bit stressed because some of them have flown in from Manila.

And I expect the number to rise during fight week when Pacquiao and Barrios face off anew to drumbeat their duel further.

I don’t know.

How I wish I could win the lottery or even hit the jackpot on the slot machine so I could buy them the tickets.

But, wait.

Even if I happen to strike it big, I might end up empty-handed because of the tremendous response to the fight.

Geez.