Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is holding sponsorship negotiations with sports apparel companies after US giant Nike dropped him over his controversial comments on same-sex couples, his business manager said Tuesday.
Nike cut ties with the eight-time world champion last week after he described gay couples as "worse than animals".
The 37-year-old's comments, which Nike described as "abhorrent", touched off a firestorm of international criticism, particularly from US athletes and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
"There are several already now in the pipeline. They (the Pacquiao camp) were actually negotiating with some already," Pacquiao business manager Eric Pineda told AFP without naming the companies.
He said they included a "multi-million-dollar" brand that would likely replace Nike as the supplier of Pacquiao's sports gear.
Pineda also said no Philippine-based companies had dropped Pacquiao as a commercial endorser despite the furore over his comments.
"They will still be sponsoring Manny. Just look at his shorts," he said, referring to commercial logos that cover the training togs of Pacquiao, who is preparing to fight US foe Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas in April and then retire from boxing.
Pacquiao, a national hero in the Philippines, has made a fortune endorsing products and brands ranging from automobiles, motorcycles, car batteries, pizzas, beer, a bank and even property firms.
A devout Christian, Pacquiao has issued a public apology while also defending his comments, saying he was merely quoting the Bible.
He remains widely popular in the Philippines, where he is running for a seat in the Senate in May elections, a higher-profile national post than his current seat in the House of Representatives representing a southern province.
Surveys have shown that despite Pacquiao's lacklustre performance in Parliament, he is likely to win a Senate seat.
AFP
Tue Feb 23 2016
Nike cut ties with eight-time world champion Pacquiao (pix) last week after he described gay couples as "worse than animals".
ANALYSIS - What could happen if Trump rejects the US election results
If Trump seems to be losing, the delay could let him claim fraud and undermine confidence in election officials.
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.