Transgender Male Boxer Goes 3-0 Against Male Opponents
metroweekly.comA transgender boxer remains undefeated after winning the third victory of his professional career. Patricio Manuel, 37, is the first out transgender boxer in the United States to have competed and won at the professional level.
Manuel, who medically transitioned in 2013, has an undefeated 3-0 record since boxing against men in 2018. The athlete nicknamed “Cacahuate,” the Spanish word for “peanut,” won the four-round match against Alexander Gutierrez in Indio, California, on June 8 with a unanimous decision from the judges.
Manuel currently competes under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.“Picked up another win, got some stitches, hung with some of my people, did the thing I love with sacrifices but not compromises… all in all, 10/10,” Manual said in an Instagram post after the fight. “Thanks to my team and sparring partners for the guidance + help, @heather_mcfeatherr for the weight cut, @goldenboy for the opportunity to compete on a big stage, my opponent for saying yes, and everyone who cheered me on – both in the stands or on the screen.”Earlier this year, in January, Manuel criticized the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) policy to create separate boxing categories for cis and transgender fighters.“It is heartbreaking to me to have the WBC, a leader in my sport, argue that I don’t have a place in the ring as a man,” Manuel said in a statement through Athlete Ally, an organization promoting LGBTQ inclusion in sports.“Given the WBC’s stated values of sportsmanship, diversity, and respect (via their philanthropic arm WBC Cares), I trust this intended new policy was made with the best of intentions to be inclusive of transgender boxers,” his statement continued.
