It is perhaps one of the cruellest, and most common, injuries in the sport of boxing: the detached retina. Such an injury has, over the years, ended – or threatened to end – many a great or promising career. For a day or two after his dominant and clear win over Adrien Broner (it really staggers belief how some fans are trying to say what Broner said himself, that “The Problem” actually won the fight – but that’s a whole different story) there were concerns Pacquiao had suffered a detached retina.
Manny complained of eye pain and vision problems the day after his win in Las Vegas, news broke of the eye injury, and some outlets ran with a seriously gloomy, ‘Pacquiao career in jeopardy’ headline. Thankfully, as has been reported by RingTV.com, Manny suffered a still painful scratched cornea, but not a detached retina. Pacquiao has “dealt with this problem before,” a member of Team-Pacquiao is quoted as saying, the injury being a “minor one.”
Pacquiao will have a follow-up check while he’s in Los Angeles, before heading home to the Philippines later this week. It would have been a crying shame if Pacquiao’s career was ended with an eye injury. As good as he’s looked in his last two outings, great even, Pac Man has been socking it to Father Time (another constant and inevitable adversary for any fighter) and it really does seem he has at least two or three more big wins inside him.
Who might Pacquiao fight next (after the scratch to his left eye has fully healed of course)? Talk of that rematch with Floyd Mayweather will not go away, but fans may prefer to see Manny in there with some younger, more exciting welterweights. As good (or great, depending on your particular view and opinion) as he has looked against both Lucas Matthysse and now Broner, Pacquiao has to be given a real shot at beating any 147 pounder out there right now.
Let’s all continue to enjoy this very special fighter while we can.
