Ex-WWE wrestler hits out at Manny Pacquiao over anti-gay comments
The list of high profile people to slam Manny Pacquiao over comments he made comparing gays to animals is growing.
Eight-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao sparked criticism across the world earlier this week, after describing gay couples as “worse than animals”.
“It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex?” Pacquiao told local broadcaster TV5.
Former WWE wrestler-turned-Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista, a fellow Filipino, has hit out at the boxer.
He said: “My opinion on that is that he’s a f***ing idiot. My mom happens to be a lesbian, so I don’t f***ing take that s**t. I don’t think it’s funny.
“If anyone called my mother an animal, I’d stick a foot in his ass. That’s his opinion, but I don’t appreciate it.”
Going on, on the kind-of-apology Pacquiao issued yesterday, Bautista said: “You can’t go back on that one, there’s no coming back from that.
“I still look up to him as a fighter. It’s just his personal views, you know, they’re just s–t. I don’t know where he’s even coming up with this garbage. It makes me respect him a lot less.”
Pacquiao went on to say that he was not bothered about the backlash – despite losing millions in sponsorship after being dropped by Nike, who described his views as “abhorrent”.
One of Pacquiao’s media handlers initially told reporters at that they were not allowed to ask him any questions about the controversy.
However, the sports star appeared eager to show he remained firm in his religious convictions.
And it seems the Filipino electorate are happy too – after it was revealed that the boxer is poised to win one of 12 vacant Senatorial seats in the country’s upcoming elections.
The boxer has recently reinvented himself as a conservative politician – attempting to appeal to the country’s strong Catholic population after years of womanising and hard partying.
Although same-sex sexual activity is not a crime in the Philippines, same-sex marriage is not recognised, and gay couples are unable to adopt.
