Pacquiao faces possible sanctions, damage suits

CALM BEFORE THE STORM He may have lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and could face sanctions from boxing officials for failing to disclose an injury before the fight, but Manny Pacquiao appears unfazed in his hotel room despite an injured shoulder that had his arm in a sling. This photo, posted on the Top Rank Manny Pacquiao Fan Page, earned almost 200K likes, with “get well soon” comments in English, Filipino, Spanish and even in Cebuano. PHOTO GRAB FROM TOP RANK BOXING TWITTER ACCOUNT

LOS ANGELES— Manny Pacquiao could face disciplinary action from Nevada boxing officials for failing to disclose a shoulder injury before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Apparently still bothered by a throbbing pain that affected his performance against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last weekend, Pacquiao went to Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles on Monday to seek medical treatment.

As it turned out, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan confirmed he had sustained a tear on his right shoulder rotator cuff and that he needs to undergo surgery.

The surgery will be done any time this week and so Pacquiao’s return home, originally set for Wednesday, will have to wait. His scheduled next fight in November is also a no-go.

“It still hurts, especially if I raise my hand,” Pacquiao told his public information officer. “I’m not really feeling that well.”

After the surgery, Pacquiao has to rest for five to six weeks without strenuous activities. In total, he’s expected to be out of commission from nine months to a year.

The ever optimist Pacquiao, however, believes he would heal in five to six months.

“We have an MRI scan that confirms he has a rotator cuff tear. He has a significant tear,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache told ESPN.com.

“After examination, It was determined that the best method and approach is for Manny to have surgery,” Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, said.

While Pacquiao can bear with the shoulder pain, he’s hurting inside. No matter the reason, he failed in his quest to defeat Mayweather, losing to the unbeaten American by a 12-round unanimous decision.

No longer fiery

Clearly, however, Pacquiao was far from his usual fiery form when he tangled with Mayweather.

The 429 punches Pacquiao threw were the fewest in his 20-year ring career for a 12-round fight. Pacquiao only landed 81 punches, also his least ever.

It was only during the post-fight conference that Pacquiao’s injury was revealed.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chair, Francisco Aguilar, revealed that the NSAC had denied Pacquiao’s request to take an anti-inflammatory shot in his shoulder in his dressing room because there was no formal request and it was made too late—just two hours before the title showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Injury suffered April 4

Chief trainer Freddie Roach disclosed that Pacquiao sustained the injury on April 4 while throwing a right hook and his arms then got entangled with those of his sparring partner.

They had the injury examined on April 6 and found out about the tear. They did not disclose the injury right away, hoping it would heal. Fact is, they canceled sparring for one week, under the guise that Pacquiao was peaking too soon.

Top Rank Promotions chief honcho Bob Arum claimed the NSAC was informed of the injury and that the Pacquiao side had filed a request that Pacquiao be allowed to receive anti-inflammatory shots. The numbing agents had been approved by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), which had conducted random testing on both fighters.

Aguilar justified the NSAC’s decision to junk Pacquiao’s request, saying that although the medications he was taking were stated in his medical questionnaire, the Pacquiao side failed to list the actual injury.

Fine or suspension

According to Koncz, he was the one who answered the questionnaire and had made the omission.

Apart from the painkillers, the NSAC also prevented Pacquiao from bringing in energy drinks and his own water.

Aguilar said Pacquiao could be fined or suspended by the commission for not answering the question correctly in the form before the weigh-in on Friday.

As to why Arum did not request for a postponement, the 83-year-old promoter said that Pacquiao got well enough to fight but he re-incurred the injury, dooming his chances against Mayweather.