Manny Pacquiao defied doctors?s advice after he was diagnosed with a heart condition a week before his victorious comeback against Argentine Lucas Matthysse last Sunday, the fighting senator?s publicist said yesterday.
An angiogram was done on Pacquiao on July 8, the eve of his departure for Kuala Lumpur, at Cardinal Santos after the 39-year-old boxing icon complained of difficulty breathing a few times during his two-month training almost exclusively in General Santos City.
Only a handful knew of the medical tests done in Manila, his family reportedly not among them.
Even lead trainer Buboy Fernandez was kept in the dark about the unplanned trip to Manila.
?Pacquiao claimed that after the angiogram, the doctors told him he is suffering from an inborn heart ailment and was advised to call off the July 15 fight,? wrote Aquiles Zonio in the article that appeared on philboxing.
?Pacquiao protested, telling the attending doctors that the fight must go on no matter what happened. He was made to sign a waiver,? the story said.
Pacquiao said: ?I was required to run on a treadmill, then an ECG was conducted. The result was quite amazing. The result showed that my heart rate and rhythm improve as my physical activity increases.?
?The entire medical procedure was finished around 3 a.m. on July 9 and at around 7 a.m., we flew back to General Santos. Those who were with me were saddened and crying. But I told them, ?don?t worry, I?ll be okay and I?ll do everything to win the fight,?? Pacquiao said.
?According to Pacquiao, he did not inform the members of his training team beforehand to avoid demoralization. Head trainer Buboy Fernandez learned about it only after Pacquiao?s visit to Cardinal Santos hospital,? the report said.
Pacquiao, who hadn?t fought since being upset by Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July 2017, took the day off on July 10 but jogged the next day and showed up at the gym in the afternoon.
Defying doctors? orders, Pacquiao proceeded with the fight and went on to score an emphatic seventh-round stoppage of Matthysse at the Axiata Arena.
Still, Pacquiao is eyeing one more fight before the end of the year with the likes of Amir Khan of England, Terence Crawford of the US, Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine and even Floyd Mayweather?if he decides to unretire?as potential foes.
The report didn?t say if Pacquiao plans to pay his Manila doctors another visit soon for good measure.
