One American sports icon and a Filipino-American who’s one of the most popular professional wrestlers around championed the LGBT community when they weighed in on the controversy over boxing great Manny Pacquiao’s rather nasty comments about same-sex marriage. The boxing champ said that this made gay people “worse lower than animals.”
READ: Pacquiao says people who want same-sex marriage are lower than animals
Former LA Lakes superstar Magic Johnson — whose son EJ is gay — expressed his approval of Nike’s decision to drop Pacquiao as an endorser. Johnson tweeted: “I applaud Nike for terminating Manny Pacquiao’s contract after his derogatory statements that gay people are worse than animals.” He also pointed out that, “Fans of all walks of life including gay fans supported May/Pac fight putting $100M in his pocket. I guess to him their money is still green.” He then said he would not be watching Pacquiao’s fights anymore.
Like Johnson, Fil-Am wrestler and actor Dave Bautista slammed Pacquiao’s statements. Bautista revealed that his mother happens to be lesbian, so he could not stand for Pacquiao comments. Bautistsa told TMZ Sports: “My mom happens to be a lesbian so I don’t f**king take that sh*t. I dont think it’s funny. If anyone called my mother an animal, I’d stick my foot in his ass.”
Bautista said he respects Pacquiao as a fighter. However, he added, “But as far as his opinions, [he can] stick that up (his) ass.”
Pacquiao is reportedly unaffected by the comments of Johnson, Bautista, and other personalities.
