A typical athlete would require intense, often painful rehabilitation to help heal a torn rotator cuff that just had undergone surgery.
Apparently Manny Pacquaio isn’t your typical athlete.
Pacquiao had surgery on his injured right shoulder May 7, five days after losing boxing’s welterweight title to Floyd Mayweather. Just three months later, the Filipino boxer was asked how things are progressing.
“I’m fine,” Pacquiao told The Phillippine Star. “It’s God’s work. I never saw a doctor. I never did rehab. All I did was to swim in the sea as often as I could. The salt water healed my wound.”
So, yeah. Pacquiao essentially is saying his shoulder — which was expected to take nine to 12 months to heal — is magically better thanks to God and a little bit of salt water.
Not a bad rehab program.
Pacquiao has been doing his prescribed shoulder exercises, according to his advisor, Michael Koncz, so it’s not like the 36-year-old’s recovery is all smoke and mirrors. Still, Koncz told USA TODAY Sports he’s been “amazed” by Pacquiao’s improvement in his range of motion.
Pacquiao still isn’t expected to fight again until 2016, and a rematch with Mayweather — if it ever happens — would be a long way away. Mayweather recently announced he’ll fight Andre Berto on Sept. 12 for a chance to tie Rocky Marciano’s record of most wins without a loss at 49.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@BoxingNewsED
