Tattoos are a way for a person to express themselves via art. The only difference between the drawing on a piece of paper and a tattoo is that the body is the canvas. As such, for most, once the tattoo is completed there is very little that can be done to alter the work of the artist. But with tattoos often carrying great meaning behind them, there is a sense of pride with each tattoo that is added to the body. That is until something happens that casts a shadow over the meaning of the tattoo. This is an unfortunate reality for Dave Bautista who had a tattoo placed on his inner arm to pay homage to a great friend. That friend was Manny Pacquiao. However, because Pacquiao hurt the Guardians of the Galaxy star deeply, action needed to be taken to remove or cover up the tattoo. And cover up the tattoo is exactly what Bautista did.
In 2016, Pacquiao was running for a seat in the Senate in the Philippines. And while he eventually was successful in his bid to become senator, his goal was to become president in 2022. A fight that the legendary boxer lost.
It was during this race for the Senate, however, that questions about his personal feelings towards gay marriage were asked.
For the first time, the budding executive movie producer had to give his personal opinion on the topic. This was because while being gay was not against the law in the Philippines, gay marriage was.
Therefore, to be a contender in politics, it was a question that needed to be answered. But the answer that the eight-weight world champion gave was one that cost him dearly in the end. And that included counting Bautista as a close friend.
The Manny Pacquiao Interview Heard Around The World
While attempting to win his bid for a seat in the Philippine Senate, Pacquiao was asked questions by local publications so that voters could get to know the former boxer's stance on political issues.
But it was the response he gave when being asked his opinion on being gay that went viral and showed not just the Philippines but the world that Pacquaio was homophobic.
"Gay people are worse than animals," Pacquiao stated. "It’s common sense. Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is to female?"
Digging the hole deeper, Pacquiao went on to explain, "The animals are better. They know how to distinguish male from female. If we approve [of] male on male, female on female, then man is worse than animals."
After facing a firestorm for his incendiary comments, Pacquiao apologized, stating that he was "not condemning LGBT" but was still against gay marriage.
However, the former politician then doubled down on his original comments, saying, "What I am saying is right. I mean I am just stating the truth, what the Bible says."
These statements created a media frenzy. And while they may have won Pacquiao the first step of political power he so desired, it came with a great cost.
Why Dave Bautista Covered Up His Manny Pacquiao Tattoo
One of Pacquiao's great friends, Bautista was a staunch supporter of the boxer. The celebrity even went so far as to have Pacquiao's team logo tattooed on his inner arm.
But after the comments made about the LGBTQ+ community, not only did the Blade Runner 2049 star intentionally speak out against the statement made, steps were taken shortly thereafter to have the tattoo representing Pacquiao removed as well.
The reason that the comments about the LGBTQ+ community were taken so personally by Bautista was that his mom is a lesbian. As such, any negative comments were and are not tolerated by the Glass Onion star.
"My mom happens to be a lesbian so I don’t f***ing take that s****. I don’t think it’s funny,” Bautista stated directly after Pacquiao's homophobic comments began circulating.
More recently, Bautista referenced the incident again when he was speaking about a specific tattoo on his inner arm. The tattoo that was once done to show support for Pacquiao is now something different entirely.
Calling Pacquiao someone he considered a "friend" and "someone [he] looked up to," Bautista explained that the tattoo of a woman that appears to represent La Catrina was put in place of the Team Pacquiao tattoo that was originally there.
This was done because the "anti-gay comments" made were "personal" to Bautista and in good conscience, he could not keep a tattoo representing Pacquiao and his vitreal towards the LGBTQ+ community on his arm.
Manny Pacquiao's Response To The Tattoo Being Removed
While Pacquiao has not come out with a response to Bautista having the tattoo removed, he had plenty to say about the backlash received from sponsors and those in the sports community after his homophobic comments were made.
"I'm not bothered, that's the world," Pacquiao explained. "I mean, Jesus lives in me so I'm always happy. Says the Bible, everyday has enough troubles of its own, so don't be bothered about that."
This comment was made after basketball icon Irving "Magic" Johnson, Ronda Rousey, Jason Collins, Floyd Mayweather, Bautista, and so many others spoke out against the comments.
Pacquiao also lost his Nike sponsorship due to the anti-gay sentiments he expressed. But, perhaps worst of all, the boxer that so many thought was the greatest of all time came away from the sport with a huge tarnish. And it may be one that outshadows all that was achieved during his years in the ring.