HBO condemns Pacquiao gay slur, but will still broadcast Bradley bout
Manny Pacquiao, center left, and Timothy Bradley Jr. pose during a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016. Pacquiao and Bradley are scheduled to fight on April 9 in Las Vegas for Bradley’s WBO welterweight title. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Not even the public outcry against Manny Pacquiao will stop HBO from cancelling the pay-per-view for his final fight, but the network did say some harsh words towards the Filipino after calling gays worse than animals.
In a statement, as released by BoxingScene.com, HBO said it had to air its comments regarding Pacquiao’s comparison of gays to animals since the network has showcased stories on the third sex frequently on its shows.
Still, HBO has a commitment to both Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley to broadcast the fight on April 9 (April 10, PH time).
“Next month Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. are scheduled to meet in a Pay-Per-View bout. We have an obligation to both fighters and, therefore, will proceed and distribute that event,” the network said.
“However, we felt it important to leave no uncertainty about our position on Mr. Pacquiao’s recent comments toward the LGBTQ community.”
“We consider them insensitive, offensive, and deplorable. HBO has been a proud home to many LGBTQ stories and couldn’t approach this event without clearly voicing our opinion.”
Shows like Six Feet Under, The Wire, and most recently Game of Thrones are some of those produced by HBO which feature gay-themed storylines.
