Pacquiao to Arum: He has nothing to worry about, I’m doing rehab

Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (Photo from Pacquiao’s official Facebook page)

MANILA – Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao downplayed Top Rank promotions head Bob Arum’s remarks regarding missing a scheduled check up for his right shoulder injury.

Arum earlier criticized Pacquiao for cancelling his appointment with surgeon Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, USA. The 83-year-old promoter also worried that the Filipino boxer may not be able to fight soon, given his ‘unprofessionalism’ with his injury.

Moreover, days after failing to visit his doctor in the USA, Pacquiao went to Indonesia to shoot an advertisement for an herbal medicine and to visit Filipina convict Mary Jane Veloso who has been in death row for drug trafficking.

For this, Arum insisted that the boxing champ should have prioritized having his check up before going elsewhere.

“When you have an operation like that you’ve got to get into rehab. You’ve got to get the doctor to look at it and to guide you as to the kind of rehab that you’ve got to do,” Arum earlier said.

Pacquiao, for his part, insisted that he was undergoing self-rehabilitation in the Philippines. He did not disclose, however, if he was seeking medical advice from a doctor in the country.

“I respect Bob Arum. He’s just like a father to me. I believe he’s just voicing out his concern [for] me and I appreciate it. I don’t take it negatively,” Pacquiao said.

“But he has nothing to worry about my injury. I’m doing the rehab myself. I’m recovering faster than expected… I can now raise my right arm,” he added.

Pacquiao obtained the rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder from his megabout with undefeated American boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. earlier this year. He has then undergone surgery and has been undertaking rehabilitation therapy afterwards.