Shoulder holds up well as Pacquiao opens sparring session to media

Manny Pacquiao works the mitts with trainer Freddie Roach inside the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California on Saturday afternoon. Pacquiao and Bradley will be fighting for the third time on April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA

HOLLYWOOD—At about this stage of preparations for the Floyd Mayweather fight last year, Team Pacquiao opened its doors to a supposedly private workout but kept under wraps a shoulder injury that would play a telling role in the richest prizefight in boxing history.

This year, that shoulder got its share of scrutiny as another sparring session was opened to journalists. And from the way the afternoon workout went, the shoulder should hold up well for Pacquiao’s third match against Timothy Bradley Jr. on April 9 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“He’s punching out of both hands,” said trainer Freddie Roach, an indication that Pacquiao is no longer bothered by the surgically repaired right shoulder that had been the subject of controversy in the Mayweather fight.

The now-retired Mayweather won a unanimous decision against Pacquiao last year, with the Filipino saying he was basically fighting with one arm because he could no longer throw punches with his right.

“His shoulder not bothering him,” Roach told journalists. “This is not a concern right now.”

Pacquiao looked active during the sparring sessions and was hitting the heavy bag hard, showing no signs that he was wary about throwing punches with his right hand.

About the only thing Pacquiao complained of during the afternoon workout at Wild Card gym was his feet getting “hot.”

“His feet is hot because he’s moving so much,” Roach said. “That’s been a problem in the past because we didn’t take care of it. He didn’t have pads before but we have pads now.”

“He’ll tell me his feet is hot but two seconds later he’ll move like a wildcat,” added Roach.

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