TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum insisted the third encounter between eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 9 won’t be postponed because of the supposed backlash from members of the gay community, who ranted against the Filipino ring icon for his statement that he was against same-sex marriages and said such individuals were worse than animals.
In an interview with ABS-CBN sports consultant Peter Musgni on his program “Teka Muna” over dzMMTeleradyo on Saturday evening, Arum said: “The fight won’t be postponed. There is tremendous interest in the fight and many people will buy (the pay-per-view) because it’s a good fight.”
Arum, who initially said he supported the decision of Nike to withdraw from its contract with Pacquiao because of his remarks, which he termed “reprehensible,” seems to have had a change of heart after Filipinos rallied around Pacquiao and said they agreed with his position on same-sex marriages.
Arum even pointed out that there were “many people in the US who believe what Manny said.”
“Pacquiao was entitled to say he was against same-sex marriages, that is his religious belief and while people may disagree with it, he is entitled to say it,” said Arum.
The Top Rank promoter told Musngi that he doesn’t share Pacquiao’s position, but “will defend to death his right to say it.”
Arum indicated that when Pacquiao goes to Los Angeles to continue training under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in a couple of weeks, he will “sit with him and talk to him” in an effort to counsel Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, a group of fans of Pacquiao burned a collection of Nike shoes at the parking lot of the Cebu Coliseum, with the video going viral on the Internet.
The video, which lasted some 2 minutes and 40 seconds, was uploaded by a man identified as Oriel Ballano and was viewed initially as many as 131,260 times. It had 2,610 likes and generated 787 comments.
The Cebu Daily News reported that the man holding a pair of Nike shoes said: “Burn the Nike sole for the soul,” before putting the shoes on a collection of other Nike pairs on what looked like a metal tray.
Another man then poured gasoline from a plastic bottle and set the shoes on fire.
While the shoes were burning, the man on the video explained that their group does not hate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups, which bashed Pacquiao over his remarks.