“I'm focused on becoming the only gay world champion in boxing history.”
Not long ago, Orlando Cruz made history when he became the only openly gay professional boxer in the world to officially come out and continue the sport professionally.
Now, the Puerto Rican born athlete is once again ready to scribe his name into the history books by having one more round before going up against WBO interim world champion featherweight, Miguel Berchelt.
“We are working hard for this fight and hope to do well. We are facing Berchelt in January or February for the interim world title. But I have an excellent team and we have no hurry to get to that point. We are at the time of assimilating weight and going step by step,” the hunky boxer shared in an interview with El Vocero, a Puerto Rican newspaper.
On October 7, he will fight Mr. Luis Sanchez.
“At 35 years old – I feel great. I know my opponent will come to fight, but I am prepared and ready for victory and then to be crowned world champion. I’m focused on becoming the only gay world champion in boxing history,” he added.
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The record shows Mr. Cruz is already on a winning streak. In July, he won his last fight after dedicating the event it to the victims, families and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Sadly, Mr. Cruz lost four friends in the savage shootings that claimed the lives of 49 innocents. Since that time, he has visited the memorial to lay down gloves and flowers.
The boxer officially came out in 2012 and told the world, “They can call me maricón, or faggot, and I don’t care. Let them say it because they can’t hurt me now. I am relaxed. I feel so happy.”
At the time, he also shared,
“But to make this announcement to the whole world I had to be very strong. … I am proud to be Puerto Rican, just like I am proud to be a gay man.”
Mr. Cruz was among the first group of inductees into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame on August 2, 2013.
h/t: Gay Star News
