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Terry Flanagan knows something about the courage it took Orlando Cruz to become the first active professional boxer to announce he is gay.Cruz (25-4-1, 13 KOs), who came out in 2012, challenges Flanagan for his WBO world lightweight title on Saturday and will become the first openly gay boxing world champion if he wins at the at the Matchpoint Arena in Cardiff.Boxing this year has seen two of the sports biggest global stars -- Manny Pacquiao and Tyson Fury -- make homophobic remarks.But Flanagan (31-0, 12 KOs) only has admiration for Cruz after seeing his sister Chelsea also announce she was gay.To come out in such a sport like boxing which is a macho combat sport, you have to admire it, Flanagan told ESPN.It takes bravery and courage. It doesnt affect me at all as my sister Chelsea is openly gay.I remember well when she came out and what it was like. Shes had it hard, she came out in her teens and shes a better person for it now.Shes a footballer herself [for Sheffield FC in the Womens Super League] and there are a few girls in womens football who have come out. But there arent any in the mens game.There are more and more people coming out so people dont look at it as a bad thing and its good for boxing what Orlando has done.Puerto Rican Cruz, who married his partner Jose Manuel Colon earlier this year, was knocked out by Orlando Salido in a shot at the WBO world featherweight title in 2013.The 35-year-old has won his last five fights -- the last four were at super-featherweight -- and he will be Briton Flanagans challenger for the WBO belt he won in 2015.He looks quite classy, he can punch, and hes got a few knockouts, Flanagan said.He uses his short height to an advantage and looks a bit tricky. He lost to Salido, but Salido is a great fighter who has a win over [Vasyl] Lomachenko.Cruz is arguably Flanagans highest profile opponent yet, but the Briton is still yearning for a big fight.Flanagan, 27, had hoped to face fellow Manchester-based boxer Anthony Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs), who lost his WBA version of the world title on points to Jorge Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) in September.Flanagan now hopes victory over Cruz sets up a mandatory defence against Puerto Ricos dangerous Felix Verdejo (22-0, 15 KOs) or a unification fight.Verdejo is my mandatory and hes boxing after Christmas and then I will be looking at defending my title against him in March, or maybe it will be a unification fight, Flanagan said.?Ive heard there will be a rematch between Linares and Crolla so I wont be fighting either of them in the near future. Ive got my mandatory due in March so its maybe at least two fights away.Linares got offered the fight against me and took less money to fight Crolla again than he would against me, so he chose the safer option in fighting Crolla.I thought [WBC champion] Dejan Zlaticanin had accepted an offer to come over here and fight this month but then we heard he was fighting Mikey Garcia next instead. I thought it was done but was only a verbal agreement. Hopefully we can make it in the future.I just hope one of these big fights comes off for me in 2017.Flanagan says he would consider stepping up to light-welterweight and challenging for the vacant WBO world title, if American Terence Crawford relinquishes the belt to move up to welterweight.I would jump at the chance of fighting for the world title at the next weight, Flanagan said. If Terence Crawford is stepping up to welterweight then I would happily jump up.Crawford went from being WBO lightweight champion to fighting for the WBO light-welterweight title and Ive heard there are rumours that he will step up again if the fight is right. I would go straight into a world title fight if I stepped up.Tommy McDonald Youth Jersey . LOUIS -- St. Mike Quick Youth Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Tommy-Mcdonald-Inverted-Jersey/ . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Harold Carmichael Womens Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Nick Foles Eagles Jersey . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level.NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to find more offensive support for the NBAs second-leading scorer, Anthony Davis.The Indiana Pacers are trying to pick up the slack while starting guard Monta Ellis rests a groin injury.Balanced contributions will be a key for both teams when they meet for the first time this season Thursday night in the Smoothie King Center.New Orleans guard Tim Frazier had his first triple-double in a 120-119 overtime victory at Phoenix on Sunday, and reserve guard Langston Galloway continued his hot 3-point shooting during a 113-109 home loss to Golden State on Tuesday.Galloway made 19 3-pointers over the past five games, a career best for that length of games, and he shot 44.2 percent on 3-pointers in that stretch.I think in college was probably the last time I had (such a green light to shoot), Galloway told the Pelicans team website. Last year in New York I had it somewhat, but the coaches, teammates, they all believe in me (here). I just go out there and play with a lot of confidence.Against the Suns, Davis tied for the third-most points among five New Orleans players who scored double figures.Against the Warriors, the Pelicans again had five double-figure scorers as Davis led the way. But down the stretch, the New Orleans offense -- Davis included -- broke down, producing a total of two points in its final 11 possessions as the Pelicans squandered a five-point, fourth-quarter lead and dropped to 8-18.It comes down to making plays at the end, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. I thought the last five, six minutes of the game, we became a little stagnant, and if you become stagnant with this (Golden State) team, they do a great job of loading up their defense. You cant hold the basketball.The Pacers (13-13) lost at Miami 95-89 onn Wednesday as Ellis missed his second straight game.dddddddddddd He will sit out at least one more game after Thursday.Glenn Robinson III replaced Ellis in the starting lineup, though his contributions are more varied than just scoring, which is Ellis forte. Robinson is not among the five Indiana players with a double-figure scoring average.Its sad to see Monta out, you never want to see anyone injured, but I want to take advantage of this opportunity, Robinson told the Pacers website. I definitely want to be a starter in this league, and I think I can help this team out, bringing energy and being ready to play every night. Energy is the biggest thing we need in the starting lineup.Robinson left the game against Miami in the third quarter after his head collided with the Heats Hassan Whitesides knee, but he returned in the fourth quarter.Hes going to get better by the game, forward Paul George said of Robinson. We know how much he can do and how much offensively he has in his package. We want him to play his game, but hes the fifth option for us. Hes growing. Hes good now, but when his time comes, hes going to be really good.The Pacers made just nine 3-pointers against the Heat after posting season-high totals in their previous two games. They made 15 3-pointers against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, then made 17 two nights later against the Charlotte Hornets.Im going to stay ready no matter what happens when Monta comes back, Robinson told the Pacers website. But the biggest thing is Ive learned a lot and Ive proven not only to myself and my teammates, but to the coaches and the rest of the league that I belong and Im here to stay. ' ' '