It would be unfair to the millions of boxing fans around the world who paid and watched the so called “Fight of the Century” if they are asked to shell out another $100 so they would know who between them is the better fighter.
While Pacquiao accepted his loss to Mayweather last May 2 via a unanimous decision, he also complained that he was in pain almost midway through the fight when he re-injured his torn rotator cuff.
Pacquiao admitted that his injury caused his defeat as he was fighting Mayweather with practically one hand as a result of his right hand injury.
Pacquiao’s revelation angered many fans saying they were shortchanged because they were not informed of the injury he was suffering even before days or weeks leading up to the day of the fight.
But Pacquiao’s handlers revealed that the former pound-for-pound king had been struggling with his shoulder injury since 2008 but they claimed the injury was nothing serious, as Pacquiao went on to win fights with his injured shoulder.
Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao was already suffering from partial rotator cuff tear since he fought Oscar De La Hoya seven years ago.
“[This is because] he rested it for a couple of months and it went away,” Arum explained. “It’s a recurring kind of injury. It can kick up again, which it did in sparring [two-and-a-half weeks before the Mayweather] fight.”
Pacquiao’s loss to Mayweather has triggered an avalanche of lawsuits from fans and bettors across the US claiming that they were shortchanged as they were not made aware of Pacquiao’s injury before the day of the fight.
Pacquiao is saddened that despite his effort to give fans what they wanted to see considering his injury, he ended up being sued in court.
But former Mayweather foe Robert Guerrero has some good words for Pacquiao and he stated why fans shouldn’t be hard on the Filipino boxing star.
”How do you kill that event with such magnitude by saying ‘oh, my shoulder’s messed up.’ Fighters are warriors, we’re gonna come in and fight no matter what. You got a busted knuckle, busted rib, bummed ankle… we’re warriors. We come to fight,” Guerrero told Fight Hub TV.
Guerrero said he has been to a similar situation when he got himself injured in the past but with proper therapy, it can be corrected.
”It’s a killer, man. Especially if you’ve been suffering it for a long time, you tend to block it out and just overcome it. After a while even though it’s there, it subconsciously [affects you] at fights,” he said.
”But since I got that surgery, I got a whole year off, make sure that I get the proper therapy and do the right stuff, man, I came back great,” he added.
Giving Pacquiao another crack at Mayweather on a clean bill of health would be good not only for Pacquiao and Mayweather but for the survival of the sports as well.
