Manny Pacquiao allays fears he might suffer brain damage as he prepares for Keith Thurman fight
- Promoter Bob Arum warns the 40-year-old boxing icon he risks permanent injury, using Zab Judah as an example
- But the Filipino says his life is in God’s hands as he steps into the ring against unbeaten American
Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has tried to allay fears that he might risk brain damage as he prepares for his latest bout against unbeaten American Keith Thurman next month, saying “don’t worry about me”.
Veteran promoter Bob Arum warned over the weekend that the 40-year-old reigning WBA welterweight regular champion risks permanent injury if he fights the highly rated American, citing 41-year-old Zab Judah as an example of a fighter carrying on too long.
American Judah, a former two-division boxing champion, was stopped in the 11th round of a scheduled 12-round bout for the Nabo super lightweight title in Syracuse, New York by Cletus Seldin. He suffered bleeding in the brain as a consequence of the TKO defeat last Friday.
The 87-year-old Arum used to oversee most of the eight-division world champion’s signature fights as founder and CEO of promoters Top Rank, but he no longer works with the fighting senator from Saragani.
Arum said last weekend on the sidelines of the Tyson Fury-Tom Schwarz heavyweight fight in Las Vegas that “Zab Judah is a perfect example of how dangerous it is for a guy to continue fighting into his 40s”.
Arum said he was concerned for Pacquiao’s health too and advised him to quit.