Manny Pacquiao likely out of action till mid-2011
Trainer Freddie Roach says following his weekend battle with Antonio Margarito, the winning Manny Pacquiao could be out of the ring for six months, GMAnews.tv reports.
“I told him to take six months off,” Roach said. “He needs a nice, long rest, get his eyes off this. Relax, enjoy your family, enjoy your politics, whatever you do.”
Pacquiao is fresh off a stunning win Saturday night against Margarito, who weighed 17 pounds more than him at the time of the fight. While most thought Pacquiao would prevail, it was unclear if he would be able to dominate the larger, aggressive “Tijuana
Tornado.”
Following the fight Margarito was immediately sent to the hospital, where he received nine stitches for cuts and awaits surgery for a broken right orbital bone.
Pacquiao’s personal advisor, Michael Koncz, said that “Pacman” would certainly be resting and taking it easy before evaluating his next move.
“We will take a few days off. And then when we get back to the Philippines, I’ll talk to Manny, then I’ll fly back and discuss Manny’s wishes with [Bob] Arum and see what we can do.”
Arum had originally indicated a return to the ring for “Pacman” would fall between March and April, but updated reports suggest June as a more viable date.
Koncz confirmed: “The fight was harder than we expected, and like Manny said, Margarito was the hardest opponent he ever fought, and you guys have seen him how he’s a little bruised up and his hands are swollen. So we’ll just have to wait and see. But it’s
not gonna be at the end of the year, certainly. I would assume the first half of next year.”
In light of his success winning his eighth world title in as many divisions, the boxing world is ecstatic to arrange a bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. While Mayweather has no losses to his name, Pacquiao has generally dwarfed him as the world’s
most relevant fighter following Mayweather’s absence from the sport since a May contest with “Sugar” Shane Mosley.
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