Orlando Cruz Fights in Boxing... and to Come Out of the Closet

World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight and former Olympian Orlando Cruz (pictured) has won many battles in the ring, and with his latest fight, he is hoping to be the victor of as well. Cruz recently announced that he is a “proud gay man,” making him the first boxer to ever do so while still actively engaged in the sport, according to the Bleacher Report.

Cruz, who is Puerto Rican and ranked the No. 4 featherweight boxer in the world, sent out a statement proclaiming his sexuality and he didn’t mince words:

I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look in to boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.”

Boxing centers around machismo and alpha-male posturing, so with his announcement, Cruz has clearly stepped in to an arena where backlash from other fighters could prove to be severe, according to industry experts.