Amidst religion and controversies, will Manny Pacquiao remain the same?
Manny Pacquiao, the current WBO welterweight champion and world’s first ever 8-division champion, has become a cult figure for countless Filipinos.
His fights bring the nation to a standstill where every person is chanting for the ‘Filipino Storm’ to take his opponent down. Not just a boxer, Pacquiao holds a position in Congress as well. Today, he is most popular figure in the Philippines and a factor
for every Filipino to be proud of.
However, recent tidings regarding the Pac-Man turning ‘more Christian’ along with two acquisitions of being involved in fraudulent activities have cracked his image to a certain extent, if not in the Philippines then at least globally.
A month back, Manny’s trainer Freddie Roach showed concerns over Pacquiao’s religious inclination, which has become stronger lately. Roach revealed that Pacquiao has always been religious and compassionate, however recently he has been sorbed completely
by the idea of God. He further said that Manny does not want to ‘hurt people because God does not want him to hurt anyone’.
Apart from his religious inclination, controversies that have emerged in the past few weeks over Manny in his hometown have kept him occupied too. He was unable to produce his tax documents for which an official police report has been filed. If found guilty,
Manny can face up to 2 years of imprisonment. Similarly, the latest controversy that has sprung up is that Manny helped a fugitive former politician who was under investigation pertaining to a stolen car racket.
Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to take on unbeaten American boxer Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight has been heavily promoted by camps of both the sides. It is being considered as one of the major sports events of 2012. Timothy
is unbeaten and Manny is the ‘king’ when it comes to pound-for-pound boxing. In other words, it is a career making or breaking fight for both the pugilists.
Keeping in mind the controversies that have shrouded Manny’s imagination and his religious turn, it is actually a matter of concern for his fans and mates as to whether he will be able to perform well or not. Bradley ‘the desert storm’ is not an easy fighter
to take on. He has remained unbeaten to date and so Pacquiao needs more than his standard training to defeat Bradley.
Even Dana White, President of Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC), claimed that Manny has not been up to the mark in his last two fights. White also stated that he knows how good of a fighter Manny is but Manny definitely needs to bring that out in the ring.
Since he is highly occupied with other issues, it might become a problem for the Filipino fighter to train well. If he cannot make it to the mark and beat Bradley, then he will even lose his probable match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., another unbeaten fighter
from the United States who holds the WBC welterweight title.
Being a fighter of such a high stature and being respected and idolized by millions around the globe, it is crucial for Manny to make sure he keeps his game intact. Even the slightest mistake can cost Manny everything he has earned to date; the respect and
the status. For Manny Pacquiao, it is one chance that can make him either the person to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. or the person his own hometown will disown if Bradley beats him.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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