JOSE PEDRAZA: "I'm ready to fight Rances Barthelemy and bring home the title"

PUERTO RICO (November 20, 2014) - After his dominating performance against Philippine contender Michael Farenas (39-5-4, 31 KOs), Puerto Rican star and IBO super-featherweight champion, Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), is elated that he's become the mandatory challenger to face IBF champion Rances Barthelemy (21-0, 12 KOs).

"I'm very excited about my future and I'm very thankful to my promoters Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella and Javier Bustillo for getting me the fights I needed to become the mandatory challenger to fight for the IBF title." said Pedraza. "I've been getting a lot of support from my people here in Puerto Rico and it feels great to be loved by them.  I've already started training as I'm eager to get back in the ring.  I'm ready to fight Rances Barthelemy and bring home the IBF title."

Promoter Gary Shaw was amazed on how well Pedraza picked apart Farenas in their bout.  He feels Pedraza soared from a fighter on the rise to one of the best fighters in the 130lbs division. 

"Pedraza was absolutely outstanding in his fight with Farenas," said Gary Shaw. "He looked fantastic.  He has the rare ability to make adjustments in the ring against any style.  He proved he can hang with the big boys.  Farenas is a big puncher and Pedraza negated everything he brought to the table.  Pedraza graduated from top prospect, to world title contender in one terrific performance.  I believe he is the top 130 pounder in the world, and come early 2015 will prove it when he fights for the world title."

Pedraza is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, DiBella Entertainment and Universal Promotions.

Jose Pedraza Wins IBF Elimination Bout against Michael Farenas

PUERTO RICO (November 14, 2014) - Tonight at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gary Shaw Productions, DiBella Entertainment and Universal Promotions' undefeated IBO super featherweight champion, Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs) dazzled his hometown fans winning an astounding 12-round unanimous decision against top Philippine contender Michael Farenas (39-5-4, 31 KOs).  With the win, Pedraza moves into the mandatory position to fight IBF world champion, Rances Barthelemy (21-0, 12 KOs) as this fight was an IBF elimination bout. 

Pedraza got into a grove in the early rounds and mounted a sustainable lead as he used his superior boxing skills to pick apart Farenas who was coming forward.  As the fight entered the middle rounds, Pedraza continued to box and use lateral movement to win rounds.  Farenas had his moments as he landed a few big power shots, but nothing that would prevent Pedraza from executing his game plan. In the championship rounds Farenas came on strong, but it was too late as Pedraza ended strong to keep his lead intact.  Scorecards read 117-111, 118-110 and 116-112, all in favor for Pedraza.

"This was a great win for the people of Puerto Rico and I'm very happy with my performance," said Jose Pedraza. "I knew if I stuck to my game plan which was to box and punch off angles I would be victorious.  I want to thank my promoters Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella and Javier Bustillo for all their support.  I'm ready to challenge Rances Barthelemy for the world title.  I know I can bring home another championship to my countrymen in Puerto Rico."

"Pedraza boxed beautifully tonight and proved he's one of the best super-featherweights in the world," said Gary Shaw.  "There is no doubt in my mind he has what it takes to unify all the world titles at 130lbs.  He's now the mandatory challenger to face IBF champion Rances Barthelemy.  DiBella, Bustillo and I will start working on the matchup right away.  I think it's a fantastic fight for the fans." 

 

Welterweight Prospect 'Speedy' Rashidi Ellis Added to Pedraza-Farenas card this Friday in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Former amateur star, 'Speedy' Rashidi Ellis ( 12-0, 9 KO's ) from Lynn, Massachusetts will return to the ring this Friday, November 14th at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where in the ,main event, Puerto Rican sensation, Jose 'Sniper' Pedraza will face Philippine contender, Michael Farenas in a IBF elimination bout.

Ellis opponent will be Joseph De los Santos ( 18-13-9 KO's ) from Dominican Republic in a scheduled six round bout at the welterweight division.
  
"Joseph (De los Santos) has faced great fighters such as Glen Tapia, J 'Leon Love, Eddie Gomez and many others. In fact, in that Gomez fight, the result was controversial because the fans, and many boxing analysts saw Joseph winning convincingly, but now is Rashidi's time. His ring IQ it's unbelievable, we expect a huge victory", stated Rashidi's manager, Edwin Diaz, President of Troya Boxing.

"I'm very well prepared for my toughest test. My opponent is very experienced, loves to brawl, and that's what I was looking for. I just hope he comes ready to fight, in great shape because I'm ready to deliver a great show to the great Puerto Rican fans", commented Rashidi Ellis, who trains in Bayamón, Puerto Rico under the tutelage of longtime trainer, Alex Rivera.

Ellis, who at one point of his boxing amateur career was ranked number one at the Welterweight division (152 pounds) in the United States, ended up with a record of 60-11, which included:

-2012 National PAL (Police Athletic League) Champion

-Three time New England Golden Gloves Champion 

-Rocky Marciano Amateur Boxing Tournament Champion 

-Silver Medal at the Independent Cup in the Dominican Republic


Ellis comes from a family of boxers. His older brother, Ronald "Akeem" is an undefeated super middleweight prospect. His sister, Rashidia, is a 2012 PAL champion, and a favorite win a medal for the U.S. Women`s Boxing Team in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

PEDRAZA VS. FARENAS IBF ELIMINATION BOUT FINALIZED FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2014 IN PUERTO RICO

PUERTO RICO (October 9, 2014) - Gary Shaw Productions, DiBella Entertainment and Universal Promotions' undefeated IBO super featherweight champion and 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.  The 12-round bout will be televised on DirecTV in Puerto Rico only. Check your local listing for more details. 

Currently ranked WBA #4, WBC #5 and IBF #6, Pedraza will put everything on the line against Farenas, who is currently rated IBF #2, for a chance to fight the current IBF world champion 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!"

BARTHELEMY DOMINATES SAUCEDO IN TITLE DEFENSE, MARTIROSYAN DEFEATS NELSON AND DAWSON SHOCKED BY KARPENCY SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

Watch The Replay On SHOWTIME EXTEME^® Monday, Oct. 6 At 10 p.m. ET/PT

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MASHANTUCKET, CONN. (Oct. 5, 2014) – Rances Barthelemy defended his IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship against Fernando David Saucedo with a dominating unanimous decision, scored 120-108 by all three judges, Saturday on SHOWTIME from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. 

Barthelemy (21-0, 12 KOs) controlled the bout from the opening bell and was the more active and accurate fighter, throwing 819 punches to Saucedo’s 382.  Saucedo (52-6-3, 8, KOs) tried to counter, but he wasn’t quick enough to land anything meaningful against the elusive Cuban. Barthelemy, who landed 50 percent of his power shots, employed a diverse attack of uppercuts, hooks and jabs and fought with his hands down and by his side for most of the fight. 

“It was a good fight,” Barthelemy said. “Saucedo is a veteran guy. In one moment, I thought I was going to knock him out, but he knows how to make the fight last. 

“I want Mikey Garcia. They say he’s the best. I say I’m the best. Let’s settle it.”

Saucedo didn’t win a single round and was outclassed in his United States debut. 

“I did everything I could,” Saucedo said. “We gave it our all but he is just a stronger and bigger guy. He’s a very good fighter, but he’s too big for this weight division.”

Vanes Martirosyan won a hard-fought unanimous decision over previously once-beaten Willie Nelson in a matchup of two top 10 ranked junior middleweights, scored 97-93 twice, 96-94. 

Martirosyan promised to win this fight for his promoter, the recently deceased Dan Goossen, and he delivered.  The contender was able to get inside the lengthy Nelson, where he did the majority of his damage with powerful right hooks. 

The pace picked up in the second half of the fight, with Martirosyan cleanly landing right shots and backing up Nelson. In the latter rounds, Martirosyan consistently threw wide shots around Nelson’s guard and opened up a cut under his eye in the eighth. Martirosyan’s power shots were the difference, with the Armenian landing 42 percent compared to Nelson’s 32 percent.

“We had to turn this into a fight,” Martirosyan said. “He is tall, he has long arms and it’s hard to fight a guy like that.  Around the seventh or the eighth I thought about [Diego] Corrales vs. [Jose Luis] Castillo and going to war. I knew we needed to dig deep to win this fight and that’s what we did.”

“It’s been a hard week for us. Around round eight, I thought about Dan and he made me fight hard. This was for Dan. I know he was watching me and this is for him. We love him and we miss him.”

Martirosyan’s trainer and Dan’s brother, Joe, agreed: “He asked us to win this fight and we honored that request as best as we could.”

Nelson, who was more accurate that Martirosyan with his jabs, disagreed with the judges’ scorecards. 

“I thought I won, but the judges saw otherwise,” Nelson said. “I can’t complain. Vanes has some nice pop and hand speed. He’s nothing special, but I felt he fought me differently than he has past opponents. I just need to keep fighting and keep moving forward and we’ll see what happens. 

“It was a good, tough fight.  What else would you expect from two guys in the top 10 in the division?  Of course I’d like another shot at him.”

In the opening bout of the telecast, underdog Tommy Karpency upset former light heavyweight world champion with a split decision victory, scored 96-94 Dawson, 96-94 Karpency, 96-94 Karpency.

Karpency (24-4-1, 14 KOs), who took the fight on short notice, was supposed to be a tune-up for Dawson (32-4, 18 KOs) as he climbed back from two tough consecutive losses to Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson.  But Karpency fought with confidence and controlled the pace of the fight, which was contested almost entirely in the center of the ring. 

“I just came here to win, I had nothing to lose,” Karpency said. “I know I did enough to win and thankfully the judges got it right. I know it was close but I won hands down. I came here on short notice and I had to pace myself and make my punches count. I buzzed him a few times but couldn’t get him down. He was running. He thought he had the fight won.

“I believe that I belong in the top 10 in the light heavyweight division. I want to fight the best. I just beat a two-time former champ and I’m ready to fight the best.” 

Dawson didn’t throw any meaningful punches with his left hand in the second half of the fight and told to SHOWTIME announcer Steve Farhood that he hurt his left shoulder in the third round. 

“I hurt my shoulder in the third round,” Dawson said. “I landed more jabs than he landed punches. That’s [expletive]. They must want me out of the game. That’s crazy. I fought with one arm since the third round. Come on, man”

RANCES BARTHELEMY vs. FERNANDO DAVID SAUCEDO WILLIE NELSON vs. VANES MARTIROSYAN CHAD DAWSON vs. TOMMY KARPENCY FINAL WEIGHTS, QUOTES & PHOTOS

SHOWTIME Boxing Special Edition This Saturday, Oct. 4,

LIVE On SHOWTIME^® At 9 p.m. ET/PT

From Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Photo Credit: Amanda Kwok / SHOWTIME

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MASHANTUCKET, CONN. (Oct. 3, 2014) – Undefeated Rances "Kid Blast" Barthelemy and Fernando  David “El Vasco” Saucedo both tipped the scale at the limit of 130 pounds during the official weigh-in for their world title showdown, tomorrow/Saturday, LIVE on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast.

Barthelemy (20-0-0, 12 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Cuba, will defend his IBF junior lightweight title against former world title challenger and IBF No. 3-ranked challenger Saucedo (52-5-3, 8, KOs), of Florencio Varela, Argentina, in the main event of a SHOWTIME Boxing Special Editiontripleheader from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Conn.

Willie “The Great” Nelson (23-1-1, 13 KOs), of Cleveland, Ohio, and Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (34-1-1, 21 KOs), of Glendale, Calif. by way of Armenia, both weighed-in at 153 pounds for their 10-round collision of once-beaten junior middleweights.  Martirosyan will be stepping into the ring with a heavy heart just five days after the death of his promoter Dan Goossen, brother of his trainer, Joe Goossen. 

Former light heavyweight world champion “Bad" Chad Dawson (32-3, 18 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of New Haven, Conn., measured 173 pounds for his first fight in his home state in five years.  He’ll take onTommy Karpency (23-4-1, 14 KOs), of Adah, Penn., who also weighed-in at 173 pounds, in a 10-round light heavyweight fight in the opening bout of Saturday’s tripleheader.

RANCES BARTHELEMY:

“I’m excited.  This is a huge fight for me, fighting on national television, fighting on SHOWTIME.  I’m excited and anxious to get in there and give the crowd and the fans a great fight.

“You’re going to see a solid, smart fighter that knows how to keep his distance and knows how to control the pace.  And you’ll see a lot of my jab, my biggest weapon.

“I’m going to win any way possible.  We’re ready to go the whole 12 rounds.  We’re just going to take it round by round.

“He has over 60 fights so we have to respect him.  But we’re going to let him know we’re the bigger man.”

FERNANDO DAVID SAUCEDO:

“I came here to win the world title and that’s what I’m going to do.

“This is the perfect matchup for me and my chance to show that I deserve to be a world champion.

“It’s a dream come true to fight here in the United States.  It’s obvious that I can’t do what I did in my previous 60 fights.  I need to bring a little more to go home with the title.  I’m very well-prepared and I’m looking forward to getting in the ring.”

WILLIE NELSON:

“I believe the jab is the key to this fight.  The person who establishes the jab is the one that is going to come out on top.

“I just need to follow the game plan and pick him apart.

“I’m going to win a unanimous decision.

“If I win this fight I should get a shot at a world title.  But, you know, it’s boxing, so anything can happen.”

VANES MARTIROSYAN

“We have a good game plan put together with Joe [Goossen].  We’re ready to box or brawl if we need to.  We’ll just take it from there.  We’re ready for whatever he bring and we’re just going to be on top of him the whole fight.

“We’ve been heartbroken since we’ve heard the news [that Dan passed].  Especially because they kept it away from me the whole training camp.  It was a big surprise to us.  The second we heard it we all, my wife, my mother, we all started crying. 

“But, in a way, we’re happy that we get to fight Saturday night and dedicate this victory to Dan Goossen.

“It gives me more motivation to fight and make him proud because I know he’s going to be looking down on us.  On Saturday we get to thank him.

“I think this will make me stronger.  The last thing, boxing-wise, that Dan said to Joe was, “make sure Vanes wins.’  I’m taking that in the ring with me.  He’s going to be watching me from above so we’re going to put on a good performance for him.

“I’m going to win by knockout.  I have too much happiness and too much strength going into the ring that I will win by knockout.”

CHAD DAWSON:

“As a fighter, the scale is a part of the fight, too.  I beat the scale andtomorrow night we’ll go out and win the fight.

“I know that I have to go out tomorrow night and perform.  I have to let the world know that I’m the same fighter, that I’m still one of the best fighters in the world.  If anything, I think I’m wiser and that makes me a better fighter.

“I’m going to go out there and do what I do best, use my jab, use my hand speed.  People underestimate my jab, but I have one of the best jabs out there.  I just need to use my size and win the fight. 

“Hopefully within the next two fights I’ll get a world title shot.  We want to get another fight after this, hopefully in December, and then sometime early next year I’ll be fighting for another world title.

“I’ll probably put on about 10 pounds before the fight tomorrow.  No more than that.  We don’t want to go in the ring too blown up.  Tonight we’ll eat light, eat a light breakfast a light lunch and get in the ring.

“I want to get some rounds in.  Hopefully he has it in him and hopefully we can get in some rounds.  I’m not the type of fighter to look for a knockout, but if it comes, it comes.  We’re just looking for a great performance.

“You’ll see on Saturday night –I’m back to being ‘Bad’ Chad.”

TOMMY KARPENCY:

“His weight doesn’t impact me at all.  I came here to win the fight no matter which Chad Dawson showed up and we prepared for the best Chad Dawson. 

“I’m going to fight to win.  I have nothing to lose.  This is a great opportunity for me –it’s Chad Dawson’s backyard so all the pressure is on him.  I have to take advantage of this opportunity.

“I’m going to try to impose my style; I try to fight in spurts.  I’m just going to let my hands go and whatever happens, happens. 

“I’m going to win, that’s all.  It’s going to be a life changing victory and that’s how I’m approaching it.  I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  I just need to take advantage of this opportunity.

“This is a fight we went after.  We’re ready to go.  I don’t think this is the tune-up he’s expecting.  We’re ready for the best chad.”

JOE GOOSSEN:

“We trained very hard, even if it was under impossible circumstances.  Dan brought it up, he said, ‘just make sure Vanes wins Saturday night.’  That was Dan.  Always thinking about boxing and business up until the very end.  Dan was concerned about Vanes like he would be at any other time. 

“We didn’t miss a minute in the gym and that’s the way he would want it.  If anything it motivates me.  The gym is probably the only place where I can go to forget everything.”