A day after Manny Paquiao came under fire for his comments on gay marriage and comparing humans to animals, Nike has completely severed ties with the boxer. From the Associated Press:
What he’s saying is diametrically opposed to what I believe,” said Arum, who is promoting Pacquiao’s upcoming fight with Timothy Bradley. “I’m in favor of gay rights and same sex marriage. I’m apologetic personally to the gay movement in the United States.”
Nike issued a brief statement Wednesday saying it was severing its ties with the boxer over his comments about gays. The company said it no longer will have any business dealings with the boxer.
“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” the statement said. “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.”
Yeah, it probably wasn’t the best move for Pacquiao to say those things. More here.
About The Author
Nick Piccone has covered Philly sports and events for over 14 years. He founded Bleeding Brotherly Love in April 2011, and renamed it Bleed Philly in 2013. In 2015, he joined Sean Brace in launching Philly Influencer, which quickly became a top Philly sports and culture website. He covered professional wrestling for PhillyVoice from 2015-2021, and co-launched The Straight Shooters podcast in 2015, covering the entire pro wrestling industry. He also produces content for Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia and the Villanova Sports Radio Network. He grew up in South Philadelphia and South Jersey, and is a graduate of Neumann University.
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