Manny Pacquiao Injury: Updates on Boxing Star's Shoulder and Recovery

Manny Pacquiao fought with an injured right shoulder in his May 2 loss to Floyd Mayweather and underwent successful surgery on his rotator cuff on May 6.

He's currently recovering and expects to return to the ring in 2016.

Continue for updates.

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Pacquiao Expected Back in Early 2016

Saturday, Aug. 1

“We have actually sent videos of Manny’s activities to his doctor in the US,” Pacquiao's adviser Mike Koncz said, according to Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin. Koncz noted while Pacquiao is recovering quicker than expected, he won't be back in time for a fight before the end of the year. 

"It’ll be next year, late-February or March," Koncz said.

"I’m ready to fight, next year. I'm fine," Pacquiao told Viva.co.id (h/t Sky Sports) on July 8. The Filipino also raised his afflicted right arm as a sign of his progress.

Bob Arum outlined the initial stages of Pacquiao's recovery plans on July 1, telling Dan Rafael of ESPN: "He'll stay here for probably about two weeks and then he will go back to the Philippines. One of the rehab guys will go with him to make sure he is doing his rehab program the right way."

Freddie Roach predicted the popular veteran will be thrown "right back into the deep water" rather than take a tune-up fight, reported by Michael Woods of the Ring on June 2.

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Confusion Reigns over Timeline of Pacquiao Injury

Tuesday, May 19

Arum admitted Pacquiao did injure himself in early April leading up to the Mayweather fight on May 2, but insisted he was "100 percent" by the end of camp, according to Radio Rahim of BoxingScene.com.

Those comments contradict previous statements made by Pacquiao and Top Rank Boxing, who on May 4, issued a joint statement on Pac-Man's shoulder injury, per The Sweet Science.

The statement acknowledged Pacquiao trained at less than 100 percent after suffering a right shoulder injury in the build-up to the fight. It also revealed Pacquiao's advisers "notified the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of the shoulder injury and the treatments being proposed by the doctors during training and on fight night."

Darren Rovell of ESPN later provided a copy of the pre-fight questionnaire Pacquiao filled out, in which the boxer failed to disclose the shoulder injury he'd suffered previously:

Ultimately, Pacquiao's injury is a massive blow for the fighter, as it will keep him out of the sport for a significant amount of time. It's still unclear just what sort of impact the surgery will have on his punching power and speed over the long term. 

However, confirmation of his return in 2016 will begin to build global interest for when Pac-Man does finally step back between the ropes.