Manny Pacquiao's Career Will Be Derailed by Distractions

At 32 years old, Manny Pacquiao's career has spanned 17 years and is coming to a close.  With his best days behind him, the career of one of the greatest boxers in history has been hampered by distractions, and they will eventually lead to the end.

The remaining years of Pacquiao's career will have distraction after distraction, as we have seen over the last few years.  No matter what he does, Pac-Man will not be able to escape certain views and expectations, both in and out of the ring.

Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight

Early in 2010, Pacquiao was supposed to go against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the fight of the year, but it fell through. The fighters could not agree on anti-doping methods, and because of this the two did not fight in Dallas on March 13.

Since then, the world has been asking for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.  We all want to see this mega-fight. No matter what Pacquiao does, we will continue to ask for it.

All of his other fights will be overshadowed by the possibility of him fighting Mayweather next.  This particular distraction will weigh heavily upon him for the remainder of his career.

Pacquiao-Marquez Saga

With his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday marking the third time the two will have fought, Manny Pacquiao will be forever haunted by his saga with Marquez.

The first fight between these two was ruled a draw, with Marquez saying that he was robbed of a victory.  Then Pacquiao won the second fight, and once again Marquez said it should have been his victory.

Both fights were incredibly close and there was no clear-cut winner, however, many feel that Pacquiao was not the better fighter.

If Pacquiao cannot knock Marquez out, then this will be a source of controversy for the rest of his career and his life.

Marquez is Pac-Man's archrival, and the only fighter he feels any sort of animosity towards. If he cannot prove that he is clearly the better fighter, then there will always be that question mark in his legacy.

Politics

We all know that Pac-Man is trying to make it in politics, but boxing and politics do not mix well.  He is going to have to pick one or the other, and politics may be the better choice.

First off, in politics you get stabbed in the back—metaphorically; while in boxing you literally get knocked out.

Second, politicians continue their career for years, through old age; whereas Pacquiao is already an old boxer yet a young  politician.

While he wouldn't be making as much money, politics may be the career path Pacquiao follows, and if he is serious about it, his boxing career will fade away.

Music

For those of you who don't know, Pacquiao is also trying his hand in music.  This is not as widely known as his political career, but this too has provided distractions.

Manny has already been sued over his music for $10 million.

We know that no one can have three major career paths, yet Manny is trying to do so. 

As he becomes more famous as a musician and politician, he will fight less and less, as we have seen over the past several years.  This spells the end for Pac-Man.

Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters in history, but his career will be derailed by distractions.  It will be an unfitting end to a great career, and it should sadden boxing fans.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to the Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight, college basketball, the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and much more.  Follow him on Twitter.