Manny Pacquiao looked very beatable in his last fight when he narrowly escaped Juan Manuel Marquez with a majority decision. Trainer Freddie Roach said a few days later that he felt distractions outside the ring got to Pac Man. FOX Sports’ Mark Kriegel hinted at some of the problems when he reported that Pacquiao’s wife turned down his request to renew their marriage vows that weekend. Now we know what really was going on.
Roach told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times that Pacquiao was served divorce papers by his wife Jinkee the night before his fight with Marquez. That explains why he was distracted, and why he tried to renew their vows. It also explains all the lifestyle changes Pacquiao has made recently.
“He’s given away his cockfighting farm [in the Philippines], sold his casino and his nightclub,” Roach said.
Roach described a pre-Marquez climate that included “girls and everything that goes with it,” late nights of gambling and excessive physical wear playing too many games of basketball.
“Now, he’s back with his wife, reading the Bible every day, and he’s given up basketball,” Roach said.
So all of Pacquiao’s recent changes have been inspired by his desire to get his wife back. With a stabilized home life, maybe Pac Man will be at his peak when he faces Tim Bradley in June.
