Is Roach right? Has Pacquiao’s head been turned from the ring?

Freddie Roach told me pointedly earlier this year that it had always surprised him – pleasantly – that alongside his burgeoning success in the ring, and near-idolatry in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao’s hunger for hard work and ring success never altered his attitude. “I was waiting for him to change after every fight, every success,” Roach said. “But the same Manny appeared through these doors to the gym. That’s what I think sets him apart right now…”

Yet has that changed this summer, in the wake of Pacquiao’s devastating defeat of Ricky Hatton early in May this year? The noises emanating from Roach’s Hollywood gym would suggest that might just be the case. Pacquiao has been appearing in commercials, television shows and even an upcoming movie.

The Philippine boxing hero declared yesterday – only days after there was speculation that he was not taking the contest with Miguel Cotto, in November, seriously enough, that he needed to ‘switch on’ now. It is certainly time.
Instead, Pacquiao, 31, re-asserted that he was determined to run for Congress next year despite a previous election defeat and the up-and-coming bout with three-time world champion Cotto.

He insists he has sufficient time to train for his fight against Cotto in November and then campaign for a seat in the lower house, with national elections slated for May next year.

“It (my election campaign) will still push through. Nothing has changed,” said Pacquiao, who has set up his own party, the People’s Champ Movement. “I will start my training next week. I count the days. I need at least eight weeks of training before a fight,” he said. “Cotto cannot be underestimated. He is big, strong and he is a good boxer and he has shown what he can do in the ring. We can’t take him lightly,” said Pacquiao, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“I will need discipline and training, I will need to be serious and study his style,” admitted Pacquiao, who has a habit of winning in the ring, but lost in his first bid for Congress in 2007. Political observers insist that voters idolise him as a sportsman but did not want Pacquiao’s attention diverted away from the boxing ring. It may already be too late, and a sporting great could be lost. Cotto is one serious challenge, but there is not a boxing fan in the world who would not like to see him face Floyd Mayweather Jnr next year, if they both win their impending contests this Autumn. If anyone can keep Pacquiao on track, it is the king of the Wild Card himself, Roach.

Source: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/100001599/is-roach-right-has-pacquiao%E2%80%99s-head-been-turned-from-the-ring/