Bradley calls out Pacquiao for hypocritical anti-gay statements
Manny Pacquiao's controversial stance against homosexuality continues to overshadow what could be the final fight of his career.
His upcoming opponent Timothy Bradley spoke out against Pacquiao's recent comments in an interview with the Los Angeles Times last week. Specifically, he addressed Pacquiao's outdated ideology and history of infidelity.
"I understand [you have] your belief system, but this is the real world you're dealing with, and politics are in the real world," Bradley said. "Different colors, different strokes, different folks — everywhere you look. You've got to learn to be on the fence. You can't just say these things. … The gay community now is at the forefront. It's not like the '70s — 'shhh' — it's like a race now. They're making a lot of noise.
"It’s like, 'Dude, chill. Ain't nobody talking about you going out on your wife 100 times.' So why criticize someone else and their lifestyle?"
Bradley's issues with the comments are both personal and professional. He grew up near Palm Springs, Calif., a city with a sizable gay community, and he also mentioned having close friends and family who are gay.
The anti-Pacquiao sentiment created by the controversy also threatens to take its toll on Bradley's bank account. Bradley is contracted to receive a cut of the PPV sales of their April 9 trilogy fight if the buys exceed a certain threshold, a number that might not be attainable with Pacquiao's tarnished appeal.
"I think (the comments) definitely hurt sales. There's a community of gays and homosexuals who rooted for Manny Pacquiao before he said that," Bradley said. "A big advocate who used to support Manny Pacquiao before he said that was Magic Johnson. He went on to record to say, 'I'll never ever watch another Manny Pacquiao fight as long as he fights. Ever again.' Ever again. This is Magic Johnson. This guy's huge, has a lot of followers [2.9 million], and he's tweeting this out.
"I'm like, 'Ew-ee.' Definitely this will hurt sales, but what can I do?"