Bautista comments on the meaning behind some of his tattoos

Speaking with GQ, Bautista commented on the meaning behind some of his tattoos. He described how he covered up one tattoo that was linked to Manny Pacquiao, following some homophobic remarks by the legendary boxer in 2016.

“It used to be a team logo, of a person I considered a friend and someone I really looked up to. (The Animal covered up the tattoo with a Sarah Jade tattoo.) Then he later came out publicly with some anti-gay statements, and it turned out to be an extreme homophone. So I had a huge issue with it, a personal issue with me. My mom’s a lesbian, and I just can no longer call him a friend, and so I had to cover it up with this. It is what it is,” Bautista said.

In 2016, Pacquiao stated that same sex marriages are “worse than animals.” He later apologized for his comments, though he noted that he hadn’t changed his views.