Transgender boxer Patricio Manuel has made it clear that he will keep boxing, even after experiencing his first professional defeat.
Back in 2018, Manuel entered the history books as the first transgender man to compete in a professional boxing match, securing a victory over Hugo Aguilar by points.
Before he transitioned in 2015, Manuel had already claimed the title of five-time US Women's amateur champion.
Until last week, he had an unbeaten record in his professional career, boasting a tally of 3-0 in the super featherweight category.
However, his winning streak came to an abrupt halt when he faced Joshua Brian Reyes at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, on April 4.
Reyes, who had a record of four wins and two losses in his six professional fights, managed to secure a surprising victory by knocking out Manuel in just 21 seconds.
In response to this tough loss, Manuel expressed his feelings via Instagram on Saturday with a statement full of determination.
"I’m not one to hide my face no matter the outcome….I lost last night," he declared on Instagram.
"I trained my a** off, had great sparring, cut no corners. But sometimes s*** doesn’t go your way. It’s a risk we all take when we step in the ring."
"It’s what makes boxing exciting - and also what can break your heart. The most important thing is that I am healthy."
"I am deeply disappointed, and to be honest, my ego is bruised. But I refuse to bow my head in shame. I’ve never been one to play it safe and sometimes that results in failure."
"Life has shown me time and again that failure will not break me. Thank you to everyone who has been (and hopefully will still be) in my corner."
As of now, Manuel is still the only transgender boxer competing at the professional level.
In 2023, Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), announced an initiative to establish a new transgender boxing division.
This division would operate under an 'at birth rule', meaning a transgender fighter born male would only face other transgender fighters born male, and the same rule would apply to those born female.
The WBC issued a 'global call' to assess the number of transgender athletes interested in competing.
Despite these efforts, Sulaiman later confirmed that the interest in joining this new division has been 'very minimal'.
