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Mikey Garcia could face Orlando Cruz next

Mikey Garcia's first WBO featherweight title defense could come against Orlando Cruz in May, according to reports.

J. Meric

Orlando Cruz, who has experienced a huge surge in career interest since becoming boxing's first male openly gay fighter last year, might be next in line for WBO featherweight titleholder Mikey Garcia, with the fight possible for May, likely on HBO.

Cruz (19-2-1, 9 KO) is a fringe contender at the very best, and has stoppage losses to Daniel Ponce De Leon and Cornelius Lock in the past. He's won three straight, but against limited foes. Michael Franco was undefeated, but likely a mirage.

In short, Cruz doesn't really figure to be any match for Garcia (31-0, 26 KO), but he's highly ranked by the WBO for no particularly great reason, and Garcia needs someone to fight. Cruz has a fight scheduled for March 15 against Aalan Martinez (14-1-1, 10 KO), but there's a good chance he'd be ready to fight by May, anyway, and that could also wind up scrapped if a money chance against Garcia is really there.

It's no better a fight than something like Broner-Rees -- actually, it's worse, since nobody considers Cruz a top 10 featherweight besides sanctioning bodies -- but it could happen.

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