Light featherweight champ Orlando Cruz has won his first fight since announcing he was gay, beating opponent Jorge Pazos in a unanimous decision Friday night.
The fourth-ranked Puerto Rican boxer, who has a 19-2-1 record with nine KOs, was reportedly confident throughout the rumble, which went down in the Kissimmee Civic Center near Orlando.
Before the match, Cruz told the AP he did feel “a little bit of pressure” about the whole situation: “The first few days were like a bucket of cold water… but it is something that I had to do. I’m not doing it for ratings—I answer all the questions now so that I can then concentrate on my career, which is what’s important for me.”
Photo: WBO Boxing
niles
Congrats!
Avenger
Did Queerty EVER report on this guy *before* he came out? You did the same thing with Frank Ocean. Very disingenuous. The day before the announcements you didn’t know who he was, nor did you care. Now every time he sneezes, there’s a post about it.
Avenger
In the meantime, though, how embarrassing for Jorge Pazos.
Cam
@Avenger:
What an idiotic comment.
This isn’t a boxing site, it’s a gay site. Before he came out the site didn’t know he was gay. Now the site does.
As for Cruz. This guy is a brave hero. Good for him, hope he goes all the way.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@Avenger: @Avenger: stoopid dumbfuck.
i wanna punch you repeatedly ’till your existing brain damage is reversed.
Kieran
Another devastating body blow to the tired old swishy gay stereotypes of the past that were built upon shame and guilt. Congratulations to Orlando Cruz for helping kick some homophobic ass. Well done.
GreenmanTN
@Avenger
Don’t you just love troll comments that are so goddamn stupid they don’t even BEGIN to make sense? A gay blog didn’t write about a boxer before he came out as gay? All together now, “OH THE HUMANITY?!” LOL.
And winning his first fight since coming out is hardly a “sneeze.” Ass.
I have nothing but admiration for this guy, for his guts to come out in one of the toughest sports. What’s even better is that the crowd was respectful, which wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
Aidan8
@Avenger: RE your comment #3…. how embarrassing for Ramos?? Why so? Because he lost to a gay boxer? Hmmm? Your comment #2 was idiotic but #3 reveals more about you… none of it good.
fagburn
@Avenger: “Did Queerty EVER report on this guy *before* he came out? You did the same thing with Frank Ocean. Very disingenuous. The day before the announcements you didn’t know who he was, nor did you care. Now every time he sneezes, there’s a post about it.”
True.
Good for him etc, but are there any people who actually know about boxing that could tell us how un/important he is in the general scheme of things?
Bob LaBlah
Go O-R-L-A-N-D-O! Go O-R-L-A-N-D-O! You the man. Wonder how long it will be before NUMEROUS MMA fighters come outta dat closet. Not that man of them “have” to. (It is so OBVIOUS MMA is loaded with gay fighters). I do mean that in a positive way.
andy_d
Although I am not a fan of boxing, it must be noted that talent is talent, skill is skill and sexual orientation should have no bearing on a sport OTHER THAN to provide positive role models to LGBTQ youth as Mr. Cruz has done – and done well.
Congratulations on both the personal victory of coming out and the professional victory in the ring.
KDub
@andy_d: There’s a Q now?
Jawsch
I really don’t understand how or why this is “News” or worthy of being posted on Queerty.
So what, he came out. What does winning a boxing match have to do with that?
Does his coming out affect his athletic ability?
Does his winning somehow extend his homosexuality upon a pedestal?
I mean, if you’re going to touch on the fact that boxing is a very hetero-dominated sport and that being gay in such a sport is considered a bad thing, that’s one thing.
But to be all “Omg, look a gay man won a boxing match”.
Uhm…..yay? Good for him?
Him winning a boxing match has zilch to do with “gay news”.
the other Greg
@Jawsch: “I mean, if you’re going to touch on the fact that boxing is a very hetero-dominated sport and that being gay in such a sport is considered a bad thing, that’s one thing.”
Yes. He came out, like, a week ago, so some of us wondered what would happen. It’s “news” enough for Queerty, certainly.
Plus, he’s definitely cute!
Cam
@Jawsch:
Gee, lets see, the very first boxer to come out publicly in a sport….oh yeah, gee, WHY in the world would a gay blog BOTHER reporting on that?
Seriously, are you for real?
GreenmanTN
@Jawsch:
Aaaaand another Rocket Scientist weighs in…
Boxing is seen as probably THE most “macho” sport but an active boxer just came out as a gay man. Not years after he retired as most athletes do, and not at the end of his career. Orlando Cruz boxed in the Olympics and is rated #4 in the world, not some schmo at a random gym.
Like it or not, if he had come out as gay then immediately LOST in the ring it would blunt the impact of his announcement. For many homophobes the reaction would have been “He’s gay so of course he lost- he doesn’t have what it takes.” And since he won this fight his next bout will probably be for the #1 spot in his weight class.
You think an openly gay fighter being #1 isn’t gay news? Think again.