Manny Pacquiao Shoulder Injury Leaves Questions Unanswered After Mayweather Loss

After he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by unanimous decision, it has emerged that Manny Pacquiao was hampered by an injury to his right shoulder, which throws question marks over the fight.

Pacquiao's camp claims he suffered the injury three to four weeks before the fight, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. Pacquiao requested an anti-inflammatory shot prior to the fight but was denied one because his representatives had failed to check the injury box on the paperwork after the weigh-in on Friday.

The Nevada Athletic Commission explained its denial of the request, per BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan:

According to Tim Dahlberg of The Associated Press, because of the incorrectly filled-out paperwork, NAC Chairman Francisco Aguilar added, "I have no proof an injury actually exists, and I can't make a ruling based on what they're telling me." 

For more reaction from Adam Lefkoe and Corey Erdman, check out the video below:

Though Pacquiao claims he does not want to make an excuse of the injury, per Greg Beacham of The Associated Press, the injury does raise a number of questions.

If Pacquiao was fully fit, would the fight have unfolded differently?

Promoter Bob Arum certainly believed it would have been different if Pac-Man had received the shot.

Per Dahlberg, he said, "The ruling made tonight affected the outcome of the fight."

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Pacquiao's use of his right arm was restricted in the fight, which prompts us to ask: Were they fighting on a level playing field, and can Mayweather claim to have comprehensively beaten a Pacquiao operating at 100 percent?

Without a rematch these questions will remain without a definitive answer, but there is an indication that Pacquiao wasn't up to his usual standard.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, he traditionally throws a great deal more punches than his American opponent:

However, despite Mayweather sticking with his tried-and-tested defensive style in the bout, he actually threw slightly more punches and far more jabs, per BBC Sport.

Pacquiao was well short of the total number of punches he normally throws, which is usually around the 700 mark, according to Dahlberg.

As Roan reported, Mayweather brushed off the idea that Pacquiao's injuries helped him win, claiming he had his own injuries to deal with:

Barring a resumption of hostilities in September or beyond, questions surrounding the victory will be left open, particularly by Pacquiao's fans. 

For now, all we can do is speculate.