By Steve Kim
Despite coming into his showdown with Floyd Mayweather on May 2nd with a damaged right shoulder, that later needed surgery, Manny Pacquiao says he has no second thoughts in not pulling out of that date and perhaps putting forth a better effort on that night, where he lost a unanimous decision in what was a rather dreary affair.
"No, I never regret that I fought that fight," said Pacquiao to a group of reporters on Tuesday afternoon at the Beverly Hills Hotel where a press conference was held to formally announce his rubber match against Tim Bradley, which is scheduled for April 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao had reportedly injured his right rotator cuff about a month or so before the fight, which curtailed his sparring and work in the gym with trainer Freddie Roach. In the locker room before the fight, Pacquiao was barred from taking a cortisone shot to numb the pain in his shoulder.
In numerous interviews, Roach maintains that he wanted to postpone the contest, but he was overruled by everyone else on the team, including Pacquiao.
"Before the fight I didn't feel something wrong in my shoulder but it just happened in the fourth round. Before the fourth round I felt something when I threw a combination when he lay on the ropes. I felt something in my hands, where I lost my right hand."
When asked about the possibility about a rematch with Mayweather, Pacquiao answered - "That's a question I can not answer because we don't know what is tomorrow."
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com
