Pacquiao vs. Bradley, Manny Pacquiao: His Days as Elite Fighter Are Numbered

It's all coming to a head for Manny Pacquiao, and his time as a major force in boxing is coming to an end. Manny hasn't officially lost a fight in seven years.

During that time he has built up a aura of invincibility, but, because of several factors, he is due for a fall.

Pacquiao has not been himself in his last four fights. He has looked gradually less impressive in each of them. He is known for his power, but he hasn't stopped an opponent in three years.

Manny is changing, and it's not for the better.

He isn't the type of fighter that can afford to lose steam on his punches. He'll never be as good as a boxer, he's a banger; that's when he's at his best.

Why is he slipping?

There are clear reasons. Some are mental, some are physical and some are out of his control.

A few of the reasons are simply based on numbers.

59 Professional Fights

Pacquiao has been fighting professionally for 17 years; a long time. In that time he has had 59 fights, been knocked out twice, and has fought a total of 353 rounds.

That workload will wear on any fighter, even one as spectacular as Pacquiao. The only fighter that will never lose, no matter how long he fights, is father time. At some point he gets them all, if they stay long enough.

Manny may have even accelerated the inevitable.

Weight Class Jumping

One of the things that makes Manny so great is his success at several weight classes. He began his career at 107 pounds, and he has fought as heavy as 150; a 43-pound difference. Sure it was stretched over 15 years, but that type of weight gain is almost unheard of.

Besides the legendary Henry Armstrong, few have had this much success across so many divisions.At some point that will take a toll on the body.

I think that may be happening to Manny now.

Distractions

From family to politics and religion, there are so many things on Manny's plate. Fighters need to be focused on the ring, especially fighters like Manny who seek out the best competition.

Manny is his opponent's first priority, but he seems to be conflicted and pulled in different directions.

That is the formula for defeat.

As he goes into his June 9 bout with Timothy Bradley this issue could rear its head. If Manny loses, you can collectively blame these three factors for the loss.

If you really look at Pacquiao's situation, though he is the favorite, the odds are against him.

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