Even though Nike has decided to cut ties with him after his harsh anti-gay comments, Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao continues to wear products manufactured by the Portland-based sports apparel giant during training.
Up until yesterday, Pacquiao still used the shoes with the swoosh, something Mike Koncz, the boxer?s Canadian adviser, said was not something out of the extraordinary.
?He feels comfortable with the shoes,? said Koncz from General Santos City where Pacquiao is spending the first half of training camp for the April 9 faceoff with Tim Bradley in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao?s contract with Nike would have been good until next year but the endorsement deal was discontinued following the 37-year-old Pacquiao?s tough stance against same-sex marriage.
When word began to leak about Nike?s decision to sever ties, people began to raise the possibility of Pacquiao forging a deal with fast-rising brand Under Armour, which also makes boxing gear.
In fact, Under Armour has Pacquiao?s Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach as one of its brand ambassadors.
Roach has been an Under Armour endorser the last two years.
But the problem is that while Nike?s deal with Pacquiao also has monetary gains apart from the regular supply of training gear and apparel, Under Armour is said to be not too keen on having the same arrangement owing to the small market for boxing.
Under Armour?s biggest endorser is Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors but it also has other marquee names under its banner like tennis ace Andy Murray, golfer Jordan Spieth, football player Tom Brady, ski star Lindsey Vonn and fellow fighter Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez.
