The saga continues in the wake of May 2nd and THAT rotator cuff, with a seemingly insatiable desire of the masses to examine and dissect every single aspect of “The Fight That Never Caught Light” and the reasons for Manny Pacquiao’s loss to Floyd Mayweather.
While it’s fair to say that boxing purists and hardcore fans have moved on and left happy, if a little underwhelmed – two camps appear now to exist.
Those that flatly don’t believe in the validity and/or extent of the injury – and it’s impact on the loss – and those that do.
Pacquiao’s veteran promoter Bob Arum has spoken out to Fighthype.com to further address the situation and offer up something of a more detailed explanation of the situation surrounding the injury, which led to a painkilling injection – allegedly previously approved – being denied on fight night.
Arum said;
“Manny Pacquiao has had a torn rotator cuff since 2008. Generally if it kicks up in training, he’d rest it for a couple of days and then it’s fine. Here it seemed a little bit more severe – when – in the training, so we had him treated by the orthopaedic surgeons who gave him approved drugs. Approved by USADA.”
“Then 2 weeks before the fight he was again using his right hand and he went into the fight at 100% – and unfortunately he injured the shoulder in the – at the end of the fourth round and wasn’t as effective with the right hand after that point as he had been before.”
“That’s the whole story, but going into the fight 2 of the foremost, best doctors in the world said he was fit to go and he was.”
Probed on the emotional and career impact of the subsequent surgery Pacquiao endured, Arum appeared to grow ever so slightly frustrated, saying;
“Understand he has had the torn rotator cuff since 2008, since the De La Hoya fight. This is not something new. Just unfortunately, he injured it in training and he injured it again in the fight. He’s had little discomfort with that shoulder now for what? – 7 years?”
Asked if we’ll see Pacquiao again this year, if at all, Arum was realistic;
“I don’t think he is going to be able to fight this year because the doctors want to take 6 months, so now you’re in November. Then you gotta train, so I don’t think it’s gonna be until next year.”
Twitter @Undilutedpoison
