Orlando Cruz will wear rainbow colors, pink gloves to support LGBT community, breast cancer awareness
LAS VEGAS -- Featherweight contender Orlando Cruz will fight for a world title for the first time on Saturday when he meets tough Orlando Salido at the Thomas & Mack Center on the undercard of the Timothy Bradley-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view.
It is, by far, the biggest stage that Cruz has had for one of his bouts. To take advantage of the exposure, Cruz plans to wear pink boxing gloves and a pink-trimmed ring jacket to help show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
But Cruz, boxing's first openly gay fighter, will also wear rainbow-colored trunks, to support the LGBT movement. The rainbow flag is a symbol of the movement and was created in 1978 in San Francisco to urge inclusiveness for all.
Everlast made the trunks and the gloves in collaboration with Cruz.
Cruz, who is scheduled to marry boyfriend Jose Manuel in New York on Nov. 16, is 20-2-1 with 10 knockouts. Salido is 39-12-2 with 27 KOs.
They will meet for the vacant WBO featherweight championship.
