Puerto Rican boxer Orlando “The
Phenomenon” Cruz, boxing's first openly gay fighter, on Saturday
lost his bid for a world title.
Mexico's Orlando Salido won the vacant
WBO featherweight title after he knocked out Cruz in the seventh
round. The bout took place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las
Vegas.
Despite the loss, Cruz, who came out
gay last year, goes down in history as the first openly gay boxer to
fight for a world title.
The 32-year-old boxer entered the ring
wearing a pair of rainbow-colored trunks to support the LGBT
community and pink boxing gloves to support Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. ESPN
reported that members of Cruz's team also waved rainbow-colored
flags.
“I went into the corner and he hit me
with a good shot,” Cruz said. “I though the fight was close up
until then. It was going back and forth.”
Cruz also dedicated the fight to the
late Emile Griffith, one of the greatest boxers in history, who came
out bisexual in an interview with Sports Illustrated.