The truth about boxing is it all comes out in the ring. Flaws, fears, weaknesses, strengths, guts and courage are all revealed at the sound of the bell.
It’s why being the first openly gay boxer has plenty of meaning now, but won’t help Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico when he gets in the ring against Orlando Salido of Mexico on Saturday night in Las Vegas. That’s the beauty of boxing. It’s man on man with little room for anything else.
“I worked really hard to get to this point and my team has been really good,” said Cruz, who announced last October that he was gay. “Everybody is healthy and I am very happy to get this opportunity. I have a lot of respect for Orlando Salido. I am not going in there thinking that it’s an easy fight. I know how hard he has worked to get to where he is. I know how hard I worked to get where I am. I think we are both really hungry and we both want to do a really great job. I want to take the title back to Puerto Rico for all my fans.”
Cruz (20-2-1, 10 KOs) of San Juan is the No.1 contender. Salido (39-12-2, 27 KOs) is a two-time world champion. The fight will be on the undercard of the pay-per-view bout headlined by Timothy Bradley Jr. defending his WBC welterweight title against Juan Manuel Marquez at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Cruz, 32, gained headlines when he revealed he was gay. But he has earned the title shot with four straight wins.
“I just want to thank all of the people that have supported me,” said Cruz, who will wear rainbow-colored trunks in support of the LGBT community. “I have been working hard for this. It’s something that I have been waiting a long time for. I want to win this fight for Puerto Rico and for my community. I want to dedicate my fight to the LGBT and all Puerto Rico because they are going to have a new champion.”
The macho attitudes that flow around boxing might seem like an uncomfortable environment for a gay boxer. But there are no teammates who must offer acceptance, no locker-room stigmas to break down, no franchise that has to worry about its image. It’s Cruz’s two fists against Salido’s two fists. May the best man win.
“Orlando is a boxer and he tries to move around the ring,” Salido said. “My job is to put pressure on him. I will try to cut him off and I will be throwing so many punches I will hit him somewhere. Then I will go to the body to cut him down and eventually I will make him fight my fight.”
Cruz knows he’s a role model, a pioneer. He embraces that.
“My life has changed completely,” he said. “I am a different person. I am happy with the support that all of the people have given me and I just want to continue to work hard to the things that I need to do to make history.”