1ST GAY PRO BOXER WINS FIGHT IN RAINBOW KILT
Orlando Cruz, the first openly gay professional boxer has won his second fight since coming out – all while decked out in a rainbow boxing kilt.
In October last year, the Puerto Rican featherweight told the Associated Press that he is “a proud gay man”.
He went on to win his first post-out fight in Florida later that month, roundly beating opponent Jorge Pazos.
On Saturday night, he also defeated Mexican boxer Aalan “The Bomber” MartÃnez in a 6th round technical knock-out, again in Florida, as his mother cheered him on.
Blabbeando reported that Cruz wore “a multicolour boxing kilt with Puerto Rican flags on both sides. One of the flags was red, white and blue, the other flag’s stripes reflected the colour of the rainbow as a sign of gay pride”.
Cruz emotionally dedicated his victory to his late grandmother and thanked his trainers, family, friends and “his LGBT community”.
Fellow countryman Ricky Martin tweeted his congratulations to Cruz, saying: “Bro, I just watched your fight. Congratulations. I feel such huge Puerto Rican pride! Pa’lante. Truly amazing.”
Cruz remains the first and only openly gay man in professional boxing and has stated that he wants to “be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career”.
I like this guy- brave man!