'Apparel company amused by White's comments'
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, said Nike was amused by claims that the sports apparel giant has already dropped the Filipino champion from its list of endorsers.
Koncz told Boxing Scene’s Ronnie Nathanielsz that not only does Nike maintain its close relationship with Pacquiao, he also said the company has “new deals in store for the eight division world champion.”
Koncz said the executives at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon felt the comments by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White that Nike had dropped Pacquiao were “pretty amusing.”
The Nike officials also flatly denied that the company is cutting off Pacquiao.
Koncz quoted Nike executives as saying that the “Pacquiao line is selling very well and that they have got some other things going” that would involve the Filipino boxer.
White earlier said Nike is shutting down the Pacquiao line in favor of creating a line for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones.
"They're shutting down the Manny Pacquiao line and starting up the Jon Jones line," White said in an interview with MMA Weekly last Sunday.