Two months before his fight against Timothy Bradley, Manny Pacquiao came under fire because of his opposition against same-sex marriage. This LGBT controversy may lead to a rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., according to a Filipino boxing analyst.
Atty. Ed Tolentino told ABS-CBN News Pacquiao may postpone his retirement as a boxer because of the controversy. The boxing analyst added, "I will not be surprised if he reach out to Floyd Mayweather for rematch because he needs big fights."
Tolentino likened Pacquiao's current situation to Kobe Bryant, who is retiring. In 2003, the NBA superstar was accused of rape and lost endorsements.
Pacquiao was slammed by the LGBT community after referring to people who are committing homosexual acts as "worse than animals." He had since apologized but his sponsor Nike decided to drop him.
"We find Manny Pacquiao's comments abhorrent," Nike said in a statement obtained by Washington Post. "Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community. We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao."
As Tolentino pointed out, Bryant was able to redeem himself by focusing on basketball, which is where he is best at. In like manner, Pacquiao could redeem himself by focusing on boxing, which may require a rematch with Mayweather Jr.
On the other hand, Tolentino clarified that Pacquiao's career as a boxer will not be negatively affected by the LGBT controversy. The boxing analyst said, "Pacquiao is a Filipino. His victory is our victory. His humiliation is our humiliation."
Filipino trans model Geena Rocero also commented on the issue. She said that Pacquiao's remarks are not only homophobic but also dangerous pointing out that many members of the LGBT community are prone to committing suicide.
Rocero suggested that Pacquiao should have a face-to-face conversation with the LGBT community in order for him to have a better understanding of where the members of the community are coming from. Still, the trans model does not believe that the boxing champ, who is running for the Senate in the Philippines, is qualified to become a lawmaker.
Watch Rocero's comments here: