By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Freddie Roach is anxious to see how Manny Pacquiao’s surgically repaired right shoulder responds to boxing training.
Pacquiao’s physical activity has been restricted to basketball, swimming and therapeutic exercises since Dr. Neal ElAttrache fixed his partially torn right rotator cuff during a May 6 procedure in Los Angeles. According to Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, ElAttrache cleared Pacquiao for all physical activity during a follow-up examination last week.
Koncz said receiving ElAttrache’s clearance was the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s stipulation for Pacquiao’s licensure for his April 9 rubber match against Timothy Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs, 1 NC) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (HBO Pay-Per-View).
“Me and Manny don’t see each other until we start training camp,” Roach said prior to a Pacquiao-Bradley press conference Thursday in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. “He plays basketball every day. He says the shoulder feels great through basketball. I know that’s not boxing. I’m curious to see how it is myself in the first week of training.”
Roach will fly to the Philippines on Sunday, a day after he works Jean Pascal’s corner for a light heavyweight championship rematch against Sergey Kovalev at Bell Centre in Montreal (HBO). The 37-year-old Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) is scheduled to start training camp for the Bradley bout Feb. 2. Following three weeks of work in the Philippines, Roach said they’ll shift sites to his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, for the final four weeks of camp.
Roach hasn’t seen Pacquiao throw a punch since the Filipino icon lost a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26 KOs) on May 2 at MGM Grand. Pacquiao said last week his shoulder began bothering him in 2009, but that he had always trained and fought through the discomfort.
The powerful southpaw claims the pain became prohibitive during the fourth round of his 12-round loss to Mayweather. Pacquiao has assured Roach, though, that his shoulder feels good after an extended break.
“He told me he went swimming in the ocean a lot and exercised a lot,” Roach said. “Then he started playing basketball. He says it feels fine. When Manny says it feels fine, I can take his word for it.”
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
