Orlando Cruz Hopes To Be First Openly Gay Boxing Champion When He Battles For WBO Featherweight Title In October [VIDEO]

The sport of boxing continues to rise in the ranks of popular sports across the world and thanks to the success of some of the top athletes in the game, professional boxing events constantly capture the attention of live audiences and television viewers everywhere. Superstars including the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world Floyd Mayweather Junior, Juan Manuel Marquez and rising star Canelo Alvarez have certainly fueled the recent success of the sport and fortunately for fans across the world, boxing is set to launch what will be another great event capable of capturing the attention of even the smallest boxing aficionado.

Set to fight in the undercard match of the highly anticipated bout between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez on Oct. 12, Orlando Cruz hopes to claim his first WBO Featherweight title. One of the top featherweights in the sport, the 32-year-old also hopes to become the first openly gay boxer to claim a championship when he meets his opponent in one of the high profile matches set to take place next month. Cruz - who announced he is gay last October -- is a highly regarded boxer who has formerly competed for his native Puerto Rico in the Olympics and since making his announcement nearly a year ago, the boxer said he's proud of the way he made his disclosure and is now looking forward to what would be a milestone victory.

"I am free," Cruz said recently to the New York Daily News regarding his decision to come out. "I am very free, very comfortable. I am very happy. Before I was scared, sometimes I would cry. I was waiting, but now I am different and I am happy. It's my big opportunity. It's my time, my moment. It's my first dream when I started fighting, as a young boy. My first dream was going to the Olympics and I went to the Olympics in 2000. And then my second dream was to win the belt and become the champion so this is another dream."

With a professional record of 20-2-1 that includes 10 knockouts, Cruz is certainly capable of taking down his next opponent, Mexico's Orlando Saldido. Saldido is a former welterweight champion with a career record of 39-12-2 and though he'll certainly pose a challenge to his 32-year-old opponent, Cruz is looking forward to the opportunity where he hopes people will finally refer to him as a boxing champion.

"I am a boxer, a professional" he said. "I am the boxer. When people talk, I want them to say that I'm a professional boxer and that I'm a world champion."

Whether he wins or loses, Cruz told reporters recently that he plans to wed his boyfriend Jose Manuel sometime shortly after the upcoming bout.

WATCH ORLANDO CRUZ TALK ABOUT UPCOMING BOUT