KISSIMMEE,
Fla. - These last two weeks have weighed heavily on Orlando Cruz.

But
as soon as he walked out to a cheering crowd displaying flags of his
native Puerto Rico, boxing's first openly gay fighter could finally
breathe and do what he came to do, slugging his way to a victory by
unanimous decision over Jorge Pazos.

"That
was my moment, my opportunity, my event," Cruz said Friday night
after the bout, his mother Dominga Torres-Rivera seated beside him.
"And I won."

Cruz
was touched by the support on display at the Kissimmee Civic Center
outside of Orlando, the latest in a continual outpouring since his
announcement two weeks ago that made him the first active male
athlete in a major sport to come out.

"I
was very happy that they respect me. That's what I want - them to see
me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the
word."

Cruz's
declaration has garnered plenty of attention and interview requests
for the WBO's fourth-ranked featherweight, as well as public support
from everyone from former Olympic teammate Miguel Cotto to singer
Ricky Martin.

"With
all that's been going through my life the last two weeks, I have no
excuses," Cruz said. "It did affect me, going here, going
there. It did affect me."

But
Cruz (19-2-1, nine KOs) looked comfortable once he stepped into the
ring, quickly negating Pazos' longer reach with his own fleet feet.
As a result, Pazos (20-4, 13 KOs) spent most of the night lunging
after the smiling Cruz. Pazos threw more punches, but Cruz made his
count.

Though
the Mexican Pazos held his own for much of the fight, it was Cruz
standing on the ropes playing to the adoring crowd moments later with
a 118-110, 116-111, 118-110 decision.

"He's
a boxer who moves too much, he knows how to box and he has good
legs," Pazos said. "I couldn't get him."
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