According to Tolentino, Pacquiao might postpone his retirement this year and opt to fight a couple of “big” matches more to repair his tainted image after his strong opposition to same-sex marriage that drew jeers from the LGBT community and its supporters across the world.
“Baka ma-extend pa ang career niya [Pacquiao] dahil sa nangyaring ito. I will not be surprised if he reach out to Floyd Mayweather for rematch because he needs big fights,” Tolentino said.
He likened Pacquiao’s current situation to retiring NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, who also faced controversy in his basketball career in 2003 after being accused of rape.
Tolentino shared that Bryant also lost endorsements due to the sexual assault case but he was able to redeem himself after focusing on where he is best at: basketball. He then added that Pacquiao should focus on boxing which he does best.
“He [Bryant] kept on winning. And now, magre-retire si Kobe, everybody is respecting him. If you want to repair your image, go back to what you do best. Compete like an athlete, win the big fights,” he said. “Doon ka bumangon, kung saan ka magaling.”
However, Tolentino stressed that, boxing-wise, the anti-gay issue that Pacquiao is facing won’t overshadow what he had done in the history of professional boxing.
“He will always be our ‘Pambansang Kamao.’ I keep on telling, ‘Pacquiao is a Filipino.’ His victory is our victory. His humiliation is our humiliation.”
He believes the senatorial wannabe won’t easily lose his followers but the boxing star should initiate the mending of fences among the offended groups.
“Sapagkat kung hahayaan niyang magbatuhan ang kanyang followers, kapag ito ay naging mudslinging, lahat din tayo descended to the level of animals,” he said.
“HALF-BAKED APOLOGY”
The boxing analyst, on the other hand, said Pacquiao should not defend his statement after issuing public apology.
“There’s no use of defending it because if you keep on defending your point despite your apology, people will start doubting your apology. That is a half-baked apology. Apology is absolute, own up to your mistake,” he said.
But Tolentino also urged the Filipinos to learn how to accept apology as forgiving makes everyone human.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
