Manny Pacquiao needs surgery for ‘significant tear’ in shoulder

Manny Pacquiao will undergo surgery for a torn right rotator cuff with the injury described as a “significant tear,” according to a report from Dan Rafael of ESPN. Pacquiao suffered the tear while training for his fight against Floyd Mayweather and the tear was confirmed during a MRI following the fight.

The injury will keep Pacquiao out of the ring for the foreseeable future -- he’s expected to need between nine and 12 months of rehabilitation following surgery. Pacquiao suffered the injury roughly three weeks before the fight against Mayweather. Both he and trainer Freddie Roach said the injury had improved leading up to the fight and that was the reason they continued on instead of pulling out of the bout.

“Two weeks before the fight, my shoulder was getting better and better, but it still wasn’t 100 percent,” Pacquiao said after losing to Mayweather.

The injury was bad enough that Pacquiao was forced to stop sparring during training. Dashon Johnson, one of Pacquiao’s sparring partners, said he and others were sent home from camp early because Pacquiao could no longer spar during training. Despite the injury, Pacquiao still managed to go the full 12 rounds against Mayweather, eventually losing by a unanimous decision.

Pacquiao requested a pre-fight shot to help deal with the pain from the injury, but was denied by the Nevada Athletic Commission because there was no proof of the injury prior to the request.