MANILA, Philippines ? Renowned boxing commentator Max Kellerman came to Manny Pacquiao?s defense, saying in fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. with an injured shoulder, the Filipino icon actually ?manned up?. In a report by fightsaga.com, Kellerman argued that Pacquiao understood the implications of pulling out of the richest fight in boxing history and decided to push through with the bout despite having a bum shoulder. Pacquiao lost to Mayweather last May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, later on revealing that he had a torn rotator cuff which he sustained in training weeks before the fight. The revelation sparked outburst among the boxing community, with some fans resorting to filing a class action-suit against Pacquiao to claim damages. Kellerman said Pacquiao shouldn?t be blamed for the incident. ?I think some people have the sense that Manny Pacquiao sold out for the money. And by fighting with a torn rotator cuff, not giving himself the best chance to win, he somehow perpetrated a fraud on the public,? the HBO boxing commentator said. ?I strongly disagree with this,? he added. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 GS_googleAddAdSenseService(“ca-pub-1876439796539993”); GS_googleEnableAllServices(); GA_googleAddSlot(“ca-pub-1876439796539993”, “PStar_Sports_Medallion_300x250”); GA_googleFetchAds(); GA_googleFillSlot(“PStar_Sports_Medallion_300x250”); Interestingly, Kellerman drew flak from Filipino fans after what has been perceived as a ?rude? post-fight interview he conducted with Pacquiao. He responded by saying he loves Pacquiao and that he had to question the fighting congressman for thinking he won the fight against Mayweather. Kellerman went on to say that postponing the fight was not an option for Pacquiao, who last week underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder. ?A dilemma is not a tough choice. A dilemma is choice between two bad options. What was Manny Pacquiao supposed to do, when three weeks before the fight, he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff that needed surgery? Was he supposed to postpone the fight, taking 12 months off in the interim?? he continued. ?Does coming back after shoulder surgery and a seventeen month ring absence give him a better chance to beat the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? The tickets had already been sold, the hotel rooms had been booked, the airfare, etc?the eyes of the boxing world waiting six years to see this fight.? ?What did Manny Pacquiao do? He manned-up,? said Kellerman. ?If he postponed, there may never have been a Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. Who knows if Mayweather would have still been active after Manny?s recovery time.? If there?s any party to blame, Kellerman said it is the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which supervised the fight and disallowed Pacquiao to take anti-inflammatory injections prior to the bout because of his camp?s failure to disclose the injury. ?So Pacquiao?s camp clears it with USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency], the drug testing body that Mayweather?s side insisted upon. USADA says, ?fine?a shot of Toradol is fine?. And then ultimately, at the 11th hour, the Nevada State Athletic Commission says Pacquiao can?t get a shot of Toradol because of what is essentially a clerical error?? Kellerman explained. A pre-fight medical form submitted by Pacquiao?s camp to the NSAC shows an unchecked boxed next to the question on whether the boxer has any injuries to his upper extremities. Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz owed up to the blunder, saying it was him, not Pacquiao, who filled out the form. According to Kellerman, the NSAC should have let Pacquiao take the shots for the sake of ensuring a fair fight instead of being strict with its rules. ?Because some box wasn?t checked off and some form wasn?t filled out correctly? If people are mad at anybody for Pacquiao not being at his best on May 2, be mad at the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in my view. Because just when the boxing world needed them to show sound judgment, they decided to stand on principle instead of cooperating with the spirit of the event,? he ended. – See more at: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/05/12/1453961/kellerman-defends-pacquiao-blames-nsac#sthash.Gv4xHhg1.dpuf
