Juan Manuel Marquez said Manny Pacquiao must face the consequences of his controversial remarks, but the Mexican boxing champion is convinced the issue will not affect his biggest rival's legacy.
Pacquiao recently made headlines after the former boxing world champion gave his take on same-sex marriage and compared homosexuals to animals. The statement drew raves from the LGBT community, criticizing Pacquiao's stand on gay marriage.
Marquez pointed out that Pacquiao made a mistake in saying that homosexuals who support same-sex marriage are worse than animals. The 42-year-old said that Pacquiao will pay for his controversial statement, but he also pointed out that it will not affect Pacquiao as a fighter.
"He made a mistake and he will pay," Marquez told ESPN Deportes via BoxingScene. "There is no doubt about his quality as a fighter, but there are times when the fish dies by its mouth."
Marquez also addressed Nike's decision to cut sponsorship ties with Pacquiao, which also earned support from Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum. Arum told RingTV that Pacquiao's comments are "reprehensible" and expressed support to same-sex marriage.
Marquez said that he understands why Arum opted to accept Nike's decision instead of defending Pacquiao, who is Top Rank's biggest star over the past several years.
"It was Pacquiao's error and Arum shouldn't be involved in something like that. Arum did the right thing, people are going to come after Arum if he supports Pacquiao," Marquez added. "Pacquiao said he made a mistake and now he must accept the mistake and suffer the consequences. Pacquiao has to be more responsible his statements."
Marquez was Pacquiao's biggest rival during his reign as pound-for-pound king. The two boxing warriors collided four times, with the first three fights ending in controversial decisions. Marquez then put an end to their storied rivalry when he scored a scintillating sixth-round knockout win during their fourth fight in December 2012.
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