Pacquiao vs Bradley: Freddie Says Manny's Focus Is Better Than Ever

Freddie Roach, the Hall of Famer trainer behind Manny Pacquiao's incredible run, says that his fighter is more focused than ever ahead of Saturday's fight with Timothy Bradley:

"I am very happy with Manny's focus. His focus is the best I have ever seen. Manny has got rid of a lot of distractions in his life and he has some new distractions that are a lot better than the old ones."

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO) has had "focus" (or lack thereof) as a major narrative for several fights running. Roach said again that Manny has in the past had distractions (gambling, alcohol, night life, etc.), but has now replaced them with better distractions (prayer, etc.).

Like most, I have long tired of the "Manny's distracted" storyline, and am glad to see the opposite side in play here -- that he's really not distracted. Still, like I said in the preview for the fight, this distraction may be the most serious of all. Unlike the screwing around in his personal life, his commitment to his faith is very serious and dear to him. It's a whole different ballgame.

But all word is that outside of the Roach-Ariza beefs, Pacquiao's camp has gone very well this time. We've also heard that before, but I'm willing to just take them at their word.

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