Pinoy boxing icon Manny Pacquiao may have won his third fight with American boxing champ Timothy Bradley Jr but the reception he got from the Hollywood crowd this time around could only be described as “dismal.”
It’s not just the lower ticket sales that proved how different the latest Manny Pacquiao fight was from his previous bouts. Pacquiao’s Hollywood fans were also missing from his cheering section when he faced off against Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Apr 9 (Apr 10 in PH time).
During Pacquaio’s preparation against Floyd Mayweather Jr last year, Pacquiao was often visited by Hollywood stars like his long-time supporter Mark Wahlberg, Sylvester Stallone and Keanu Reeves. “But the disappointing Mayweather fight and Pacquiao’s controversial statements that angered LGBT communities and their allies have dimmed the boxing star’s relationship with Hollywood,” reports Yong Chavez on ABS-CBNnews.com.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum admitted to the press that “even long-time fan and Pacquiao friend Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t do his traditional pre-fight interview with the boxer due to Kimmel’s TV network’s restriction following Pacquiao’s widely reported statements about gays.”
Of course, there are still Hollywood stars like actress Holly Hunter who admire his contributions to the sport and may welcome him back if and when he returns to the ring.
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