Orlando Cruz

Orlando Cruz Torres ( born July 1, 1981 in Yabucoa ) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. Cruz came out as the first boxer during his professional career as homosexual. Previously had already outed after their career, Mark Leduc and Emile Griffith.

Career

Cruz began at the age of seven years with the sport of boxing as an amateur and won 178 of 189 fights. He was seven Puerto Rican champion and took after winning the American qualifier in Buenos Aires at the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000, where he however bantamweight just with 10:11 on points defeated in the preliminary round against Hichem Blida in Algeria.

His first professional fight, he won on 15 December 2000 by Ko in the first round. After twelve more victories in a row, including seven against boxer with positive balances fight, he fought in June 2007, a draw against Jesús Salvador Pérez. After following points victory against Wilfredo Acuna ( 11 wins - 2 losses ), he won 22 March 2008 the world champion title internationally rather insignificant IBA featherweight; he defeated while Carlos Guevara ( 11-5 ) by unanimous decision. On 16 January 2009, he defeated the surprisingly undefeated Mexican Leonilo Miranda ( 30-0, 28 Ko) by Ko in the fifth round.

In September 2009, he lost prematurely against Cornelius Lock and February 2010 also prematurely against Daniel Ponce de Leon. However, after these two defeats, he won by KO in the first round against Michael Franco ( 19-0 ), the Latin American Championship of the WBO featherweight. The title he defended subsequently against Alejandro Delgado ( 15-5 ), Jorge Pazos ( 19-4 ) and Aalan Martinez ( 14-1).

On October 12, 2013 he fought in Las Vegas for the championship of the WBO featherweight, but was from the triple titlist Orlando Salido by Ko defeated in the 7th round.