WBO #4 Orlando Cruz comes out as the first openly gay boxer in history

Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer from San Juan Puerto Rico (18-2-1, 9 KOs), former Olympian and currently ranked No. 4 Featherweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), is announcing today that he ”Is a proud gay man.”

Cruz is the first openly gay man in boxing history. “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself,” said Cruz. “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into 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.”

Orlando Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11. He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title's and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team. Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments. His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia. 2000 Olympic teammates included former world champions Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon.

Cruz made his professional debut on December 15, 2000 and won his first world title on March 22, 2008 (vacant IBA Featherweight Title) and a regional title on October 14, 2011 (WBO Latino Featherweight title). His next fight is scheduled for October 19 at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida in which he will defend his WBO NABO title against Jorge Pazos. A win against Pazos should position Cruz for a world title shot.

Orlando Cruz is sitting down with Telemundo’s Jessi Losada in an exclusive tell-all that will air next week.

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (picure by boxrec.com) After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway. One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie gained a su

BBC make Luke Campbell mum and sister death gaffe

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor Picture from the BBC Gabby Logan announces wrong family tragedy The BBC made a major mistake on the final showing of their Olympics Tonight show as host Gabby Logan sparked an anxious quizzing by boxer Luke Campbell’s fans as they announced the ‘loss’ of his mother and sister at a young age. Campbell, 24, took the gold medal in the men’s bantamweight final earlier in the day and was then congratulated by Logan, who announced his victory as a triumph over adversity after the Hull fighter suffered the tragedy six years ago. Unbeknown to presenter Logan, it was Welshman Freddie Evans, who also boxes in an Olympic final tomorrow, who suffered the tragedy as he lost his mother Tracy and sister Scarlett in a car accident in 2006. Fans of Olympic champion Campbell and boxing in general, immediately began handing out sympathy to the boxer after believing what was announced to be true. Logan, after an outcry on social networking website Twitte

Soccer star Tim Cahill’s cousin Jai Opetaia, 16, spars Danny Green

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (Picture from The Brisbane Times) Youngster shares ring with IBO champ Jai Opetaia, cousin of Everton Football Club’s star soccer player Tim Cahill, is a sixteen year-old amateur fighter who is deep in preparations for the forthcoming world youth championships. Recently the youngster was given the opportunity to spar with Australia’s IBO world light-heavyweight champion Danny Green as he prepares to take on Antonio Tarver and gain valuable experience before his trip to Europe. Opetaia, who hails from Watanobbi, has already taken former world champion Anthony Mundine a few rounds in sparring and has added another world renowned boxer to the list in 38 year-old Green. The Australian amateur team departs for the championships in Kazakhstan this Tuesday and Opetaia thinks the gym time with the Aussie boxing starts will stand him in good stead as he looks to claim gold at the under 80kg category. “It feels pretty special,” Opetaia told the Central Coas

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