Three stories show how this could happen.

First, Marco Antonio Barrera’s loss to Manny Pacquiao.  Going into the fight, Barrera was hobbled by at least two distractions: the metal plate in his skull and the forest fires that affected his training camp.  News of an embedded metal plate in his cranium in a previous surgery raised questions about his fitness to go into top-level slugfests.  Although this was not so much a factor to contend with because he’s been fighting with that thing in his head, this proved to be a distraction in his training.  But the more damaging distraction was the forest fires which caused his training camp to be relocated hampering in the process his concentration to the fight.  In his eventual face-off with the Pacman, he lost the battle in a very un-Barrera way.  Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, did not have anything big to distract him and his training and he beat the best featherweight in the world that time.

Second, Manny Pacquiao’s loss to Erik Morales.  Two things also drove Manny’s focus away from the match.  One is the “cheating” allegedly committed by no less than his promotions boss in the US, Murad Muhammad.  Although news about this broke out after the fight, one cannot but help to think that Pacquiao already knew about this deception.  Since this involves money, Manny was probably bothered so much because he was the one receiving all the beating during a fight and yet he was also receiving “blows” to his financial shares in the fight.  There was also the frightening blood sample issue days before the battle.  This caused a kind of stir in Pacman’s focus, and the result was a disappointing defeat.  Erik Morales didn’t have much to distract his preparations and he dealt a big blow to the surge of Pacman to boxing stardom.

Third, Erik Morales and his loss to Manny Pacquiao in the rematch.  This time, it’s the turn of Morales to be disturbed.  After an unsuccessful stint in the lightweight division against unheralded Zahir Raheem, Morales sacked his father Jose as trainer.  This divorce was costly however Erik would deny it.  He had to adjust to the ways of a new trainer and was haunted by the emotional impact of his decision.  How many nights did Erik have to watch because he was thinking about the effect of his decision to his father’s ego?  How many days did Erik have to make comparisons between the way his father trained him and the way his new trainer handled him?  Was the extra poundage  he had to shed days before the second encounter with Pacman an indication that his training was not the ideal?  Was the absence of his father in his corner a big factor because he was not used to it?  Maybe, there is only one common answer to the questions.  Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, was a picture of complete focus and did what no other boxer could do against Morales.

You may say my analysis is faulty and that I’m taking away the credit from the winners in each match-up.  Well, I have to admit that an excellent boxer may still win a fight inspite of bruhahas during his training.  But that may hold true only if the opponent does not belong to the elite group.  A top-level opponent with so much focus is very hard to beat especially when the other boxer had a less-than-ideal training.  And a less-than-ideal training is one hampered by distractions.

Manny Pacquiao’s extra-marital affair, his many commercial endorsements, and his venture into the showbiz world may prove costly in his fight against Oscar Larios.  On the other hand, is there anything Larios has to contend with except his upcoming fight with the Pacman?  Have we heard of anything that bothers Larios’ training?  Isn’t he already up in his preparations?  What about Manny, has he been training yet?  Has he heard about the reunion of the Moraleses?  Does he know that he will meet again the tandem of the father and son, the tandem that registered his first loss since 1999?

Just asking.  Any comments?