Promoter Bob Arum, left, talks with trainer Freddie Roach as Manny Pacquiao answers reporter questions during a press conference following his welterweight title fight on Saturday
Manny Pacquiao could face disciplinary action from Nevada boxing officials for failing to disclose a shoulder injury before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Nevada Athletic Commission chairman Francisco Aguilar said yesterday that the state attorney general’s office will look at why Pacquiao checked “no” a day before the fight on a commission questionnaire asking if he had a shoulder injury.
“We will gather all the facts and follow the circumstances,” Aguilar said. “At some point we will have some discussion. As a licensee of the commission you want to make sure fighters are giving you up-to-date information.”
Pacquiao could face a possible fine or suspension for not answering the question accurately on a form he filled out just before Friday’s weigh-in. He would go on to lose a unanimous decision to Mayweather in the richest fight ever.
Meanwhile, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache told ESPN.com that Pacquiao will undergo surgery later this week to repair a “significant tear” in his rotator cuff. ElAttrache examined Pacquiao on Monday at his Kerlan Jobe Orthopedics office in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao’s promoter put out a statement on behalf of the fighter saying that the injury was disclosed to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which approved the use of an anti-inflammatory shot for the fight. But USADA was only a third party to the fight, charged only with testing the fighters for banned substances in training and the night of the bout.
“We had no medical information, no MRIs, no documents,” said Travis Tygart, who heads the USADA. “It was not an anti-doping issue.”
“Our job is to protect the health and safety of fighters and the integrity of the sport,” Aguilar said. “We expect our fighters to be forthright.”
Pacquiao said after the fight that his shoulder had improved and he was hopeful of fighting with the shot. He said it didn’t bother him until the fourth round, when he hit Mayweather with a big left hand and went after him with a series of punches. AP
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