Manny Pacquiao has yet to return to the boxing ring with early 2016 being the most likely date for the Filipino boxing icon.
Pacquiao is currently recovering from right shoulder surgery which he sustained before his May 2 fight with American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao lost to Mayweather via unanimous decision but would later on reveal that he was fighting with an injured shoulder.
Surgery seems to have gone well and Pacquiao may soon be given the green light to return to the ring. But just the same, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is pretty careful about setting up anything for the PacMan, opting to wait for the official advice of his physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Pacquiao is expected to make his ring return by early 2016, though there is no word yet on who he would be facing. Amir Khan was the widely clamored name on the list, seeing that both camps did meet earlier in the year.
But now, other names are equally being given weight. That list includes Lucas Matthysse, Juan Manuel Marquez, Kell Brook and Terrence Crawford. From that list alone, all the names seem to be a formidable opponent so it may technically up to what Pacquiao and his camp decide.
The initial word a couple of weeks ago was that Pacquiao would only be fighting one or two more times so that he could focus on his political career. But the latest word from Arums is that Pacquiao may have changed his mind.
“I thought maybe Manny would fight one or two more times,” Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, was quoted as saying by ESPN’s Dan Rafael, “and when I said that, Manny corrected me. He said he wants to keep fighting.”
So if this does hold true, chances are Pacquiao could be facing all of them soon. Hence the next question would be who comes first, second and so on. The only thing certain for now is that Pacquiao’s next fight will take place in Las Vegas.
The answer to that should come pretty soon despite the fact that Pacquiao could be busy in the coming months.
Pacquiao, who also serves as a congressman for Saranggani Province in the Philippines, could be running for a Senate seat in the May, 2016 elections in the Philippines.
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