Puerto Rican sensation Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (18-0, 12 KOs) and Philippine contender Michael Farenas (39-4-4, 31 KOs) have finalized their IBF elimination bout scheduled for November 14, 2014, at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Pedraza will put everything on the line against Farenas, for a chance to fight the current IBF titlist Rances Barthelemy (21-0, 12 KOs).
Pedraza, who has knocked out five of his last seven opponents, is excited about the opportunity to showcase his talents at home in Puerto Rico where all of his fans will be able to see him fight live.
“I’ve worked very hard to get into this position and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Pedraza. “I want to thank Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella and Javier Bustillo for bringing this fight to Puerto Rico. I love my people and I can’t wait to give them a great show. Farenas is a very powerful puncher, but I feel my boxing skills will prevail and I’ll be victorious.”
Riding a five-fight knockout streak, Farenas possesses immense power in both hands. With the advantage in experience, Farenas feels that he has the knowledge to figure out Pedraza, who is a slick boxer-puncher.
“Pedraza brings a great skill set to the ring, but I have twice as many fights as him and my experience will benefit me in this fight,” said Farenas. “I have more knockouts than he has wins, so I feel very confident going into this bout. Fighting in Puerto Rico will be something new for me, but I look forward to the challenge of beating Pedraza in front of his countrymen.”
“Pedraza vs. Farenas is a great fight for the fans,” said Gary Shaw. “Javier Bustillo, Lou DiBella and I have groomed Pedraza for this moment. We both feel that he’s the next great champion to come out of Puerto Rico. Farenas is a very dangerous fighter because he can end the fight with one punch. With that being said, Pedraza must utilize his superior boxing skills to counter the punching power of Farenas. This is a great matchup, one that I believe Pedraza will win though.”
“When it comes to pure skill and ring intelligence, Pedraza is right there with the best of them,” Lou DiBella stated. “Both fighters are on a roll having knocked out many of their recent opponents. This is the type of fight that boxing fans look forward to. I’m confident in Pedraza’s ability to outbox Farenas and secure a victory in front of his countrymen.”
“When you think of great fighters that have come from Puerto Rico, Pedraza is someone that has the talent to follow in their footsteps,” said Javier Bustillo. “On November 14th, the people of Puerto Rico will get the opportunity to see Pedraza fight live against a very perilous opponent in Farenas. This is what boxing is all about…great fights!”
