Manny Pacquiao: Distracted Pac-Man Will Struggle to Beat Timothy Bradley

Manny Pacquiao has always had his act together in the boxing ring.  But as he prepares for his June 9th showdown with Tim Bradley, he had better get his mind right. 

Bradley is no slouch.  He enters the fight with a spotless 28-0 record and has also recorded 12 knockouts.  He also knows an opportunity when he sees one.  Pacquiao is knee deep in distractions again and this time, they may get the best of him.  

According to his trainer Freddie Roach (via The Los Angeles Times), Pacquiao was already distracted before his last fight in November, when he barely escaped to defeat Juan Manuel Marquez.  On the eve of that fight, his wife Jinkee gave him an uppercut to the chin, by filing divorce papers.  

Following his close battle with Marquez, Pacquiao managed to save his marriage by getting his house in order, literally and figuratively.  In swift fashion, he got rid of his casino, his nightclub and his cockfighting farm.  He even gave up playing hoops, which Roach claimed was a detriment to his body.

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"All the distractions caught up to Manny in his last fight. Now, he's back with his wife, reading the Bible every day, and he's given up basketball."

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But less gambling, less partying and less cock-fighting will not save Pacquiao this time around, because his distractions have become personal.

The fighter's recent comments about gay marriage has catapulted Pacquiao into a debate that could have an adverse affect on his political interests.  The Filipino congressman claimed that what he said was taken out of context, according to Yahoo!, but even if it was, he has received a barrage of criticism from some of his closest fans.

Pacquiao's battle in the Philippines is not going away anytime soon either.  The Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Philippines has demanded the fighter's tax documents from 2010.  It even issued a subpoena for them.  Pacquiao has failed to answer the request and has claimed harassment.  But it's like the IRS in America.  We all know who gets paid in the end.

So there you have it. Pacquiao's troubles are mounting again and Bradley is waiting in the wings to pounce.  

Pacquiao has tried to appear stoic, despite the reality of four consecutive victories by decision.  Even Roach has urged him to go for a knockout.  But in an interview with the LA Times, Pacquiao's responses seemed staged.

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"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand, he said."

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Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Bradley retorted.

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"In Pacquiao's last four fights, he's looked lackadaisical," Bradley said last Thursday. "He'll have to dig down deep to beat me. This is my only chance to be a superstar."

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