Pacquiao won’t fight this year – Arum

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Manny Pacquiao has ruled out returning to the ring earlier than expected

"Manny's not going to fight this year," Pacquiao’s longtime promoter Bob Arum recently told Gareth Davis of The Telegraph.

Pacquiao is still recovering from a shoulder injury that he sustained while training for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May.

But Arum said the Filipino icon is progressing well with his rehabilitation.

"The doctor here was amazed when he saw pictures of his movement and everything," he continued.

"The doctor says he's got to see it himself. Manny is promising to come here at the end of August. There's no question he'll fight again," added the veteran promoter.

Since Pacquiao lost in boxing’s richest fight against Mayweather last May, he has kept himself busy attending to some matters outside the ring. The Filipino icon once visited compatriot Mary Jane Veloso – who is on death row at an Indonesian prison – and just recently went to Tokyo to join the Philippine delegation that tried to secure the hosting rights for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Meanwhile, Arum brought up Amir Khan as a possible comeback opponent for Pacquiao next year, eyeing to stage the bout somewhere in the Middle East.

"He (Pacquiao)'ll  fight early next year and probably in the Middle East. Vegas is a possibility, but more likely in the Middle East. It won't be in Dubai but it will be in the Middle East. If not, we'll do it in Vegas,"

Khan previously stated that like to lock horns with Pacquiao, now that Mayweather has picked Andre Berto for his final fight in September. And Arum, for his part, said some parties are interested in staging a Pacquiao-Khan showdown in the Middle East.

"There's two different groups in the Middle East (wanting to host the fight). I'd like to do Pacquiao against Amir Khan but they'll take Manny against any decent guy," said Arum. – Dino Maragay