By Miguel Rivera
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is amazed at Manny Pacquiao's recovery from last year's surgery for a right shoulder injury.
Arum says Pacquiao has been dealing with right shoulder issues since his career-defining victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.
The injury was further aggravated during the fourth round of last May's twelve round decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The Filipino star had surgery a few days later and spent most of 2015 in rehabilitation to strengthen the shoulder.
Pacquiao returns for the first time since the surgery on April 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He will face former two-division champion Timothy Bradley in a trilogy fight. Bradley won the first bout with a twelve round spilt decision that was very controversial in 2012, and then Pacquiao got revenge with a unanimous decision win in the rematch.
Pacquiao has not had a knockout victory since a 2009 stoppage of Miguel Cotto, which took place at a catch-weight of 145-pounds. Arum feels the ongoing issues with the shoulder made Pacquiao a one-handed puncher, but now he believes his fighter is capable of getting a stoppage victory with either hand.
"Since 2008 when he fought De La Hoya, that shoulder has not been well, so because of that the right hand has not been very powerful," Arum told Joel Rivera. "But now he is throwing that right hand with great determination and I think he will have the ability to knock out an opponent with not only the left, but now with the right."
Pacquiao, who is running for a senate seat back home in the Philippines, says the upcoming fight will be the last of his pro run. He wants to pursue a full-time career in politics and he will also have his promotional company back home.
