Jose Pedraza (boxer)
Encyclopedia
José Pedraza González (born May 8, 1989) is a Puerto Rican
professional boxer. As an amateur he represented Puerto Rico
, winning medals in multiple international competitions. Among the awards achieved by Pedraza are a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
, silver at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships
and gold at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
, as well as participation in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
, but lost (25:17) his preliminary contest against Sadam Ali. He closed the year participating in a dual against France, losing (15:5) to Daouda Sow.
by defeating Lopes in a rematch. Pedraza debuted in the X Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte with a victory (19:8) over countryman Alberto Mercado. In the finals he defeated Shemuel Pagan of the United States by walk over. Prior to the Olympics Pedraza participated in the XXXVIII International Golden Belt Tournament, advancing to the semifinals before losing (37:25) to Vladimir Saruhanyan of Russia. As part of their training the boxing team moved to Corea
, in order to assimilate the horary changes. After training and participating in a series of exhibition matches, the team traveled from Corea to Beijin.
In his first Olympic fight, Pedraza defeated Onur Şipal
of Turkey
by points, with scores of 10–3. Throughout the event, his strategy focused on maintaining a solid defense while connecting combinations to his opponent's body. Pedraza lost his second preliminary to Daouda Sow
of France by points, 13:9. He entered the 2008 Boxing World Cup
, advancing to the semifinals with a 8:2 win over Georgian Popescu
of Romania. He won the bronze medal, losing (14:4) his next contest to Albert Selimov
of Russia. In February 2008, Pedraza defended the lightweight national championship in the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos, defeating Reynaldo Cintron in the preliminaries, Erick Vidal in the quarterfinals (WO), Edgardo Rivera in the semifinals and Ken Alvarez in the final (10:3). In May 2009, he entered the XII Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte and competed in the light welterweight limit, winning his first contest over Pedro Vicente by stoppage in three rounds. Pedraza won the silver medal, losing to Bernard Lebron in the finals by hit score following a 16:16 tie.
, Pedraza debuted by defeating Abdlay Anarbay of Kazakhstan
(10:4). In his second contest, he defeated Zorigtbaataryn Enkhzorig
of Mongolia
(4:3). In the third date Pedraza defeated (6:5) Ljubomir Marjanovic of Serbia. A medal was secured with a (14:4) victory over Serdar Khudayberdiyev of Turkey in the quarterfinals. He advanced winning his contest against Albert Selimov, 9:5. In the finals, he lost a decision (9:4) to localist Domenico Valentino, winning the silver medal. In December 2009, Pedraza participated in the AIBA Presidents Cup, winning in his debut over Enkhzorig Zorigtbaatar. He lost a 21 decision to Semen Grivachev in the semifinals. An invitation was extended to him and the Arroyo brothers to participate in the World Series of Boxing, but it was declined. In January 2010, Pedraza defended the lightweight national championship in the finals of the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos, defeating Jorge Maysonet, Jr. (4:3) in the quarterfinals, Jose Davila (3:2) in the semifinals and Edgardo Lopez in the finals. In April 2010, he defeated Davila (5:3) in the national team's selection meeting. In May 2010, he entered the XIII Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte, defeating Antonio Ortiz in the semifinals and Davila (5:0) in the final. He entered the 2010 Copa Olimpica, defeating Antonio Ortiz by points. In June 2010, Pedraza participated in he 2010 Pan-American Championships, debuting with a 14:1 victory over Joan Gonzalez of Venezuela. In the semifinals he defeated Erick Bonez (7:0). Pedraza won the silver medal, losing (8:3) to Yasnier Toledo Lopez in the final. In July he participated in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
, debuting with a 22:7 victory over Angel Gutierrez of Mexico. Pedraza advanced stopping Omar Ward in he second round. He defeated (10:1) Wellington Arias of the Dominican Republic in the semifinals. Pedraza won the old medal with a 10:2 victory over Cesar Villarraga of Colombia. On December 3, 2010, Pedraza participated in a dual against the United States defeating Duran Caferro, 16:3.
The following month he participated in his first contest outside of Puerto Rico, defeating Corben Page in the same manner. On June 10, 2011, Pedraza was included in a boxing card held prior to the Puerto Rican Day Parade, a tradition among the diaspora in New York. The contest was stopped in the first round, following two knockdowns over his opponent, Tomi Archambault.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
professional boxer. As an amateur he represented Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, winning medals in multiple international competitions. Among the awards achieved by Pedraza are a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
, silver at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships
2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships were held in Milan, Italy from September 1, 2009 to September 12, 2009 in the Mediolanum Forum. It was the biggest World Championships in AIBA history...
and gold at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 18, 2010 to August 1, 2010.-Bid:...
, as well as participation in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Early Career and Pan American Games
Pedraza participated in the 2006 Copa La Romana. In the quarter finals he defeated Javier Fortuna (27:5). He secured the bronze medal with a 12:9 victory over V.Castillo of Ecuador. Pedraza won the tournament's gold medal over localist boxer Jonathan Batista (10:5). In December, he won the lightweight national championship, defeating Hector Marengo (18:15) in the finals of the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos. On February 4, 2007, Pedraza debuted in the Pan American Games Qualifier defeating Oscar Diaz of the Dominican Republic (13:6). He qualified to the event by winning the bronze medal, losing (16:8) to localist Lisandro Bolivar in the semifinals. On March 31, 2007, Pedraza participated in a dual against Trinidad, winning (26:19) a contest over Jules De Gannes. He entered the IX Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte, debuting with a victory over Shemuel Pagan of the United States. Pedraza won the event's silver medal, losing to Jean Gomis by hit count after the contest finished tied 8:8. At the Pan American Games, he debuted winning (26:7) his preliminary over Jose Virula Lopez of Guatemala. Pedraza advanced to the medal round defeating Lisandro Bolivar of Venezuela. He won the tournament's bronze medal, losing (7:2) to localist Everton Lopes. Pedraza entered the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships were held in Chicago, United States from October 23, 2007 to November 3, 2007. It was held at the UIC Pavilion. It was the biggest World Championships in AIBA history. The championships were originally awarded to Moscow...
, but lost (25:17) his preliminary contest against Sadam Ali. He closed the year participating in a dual against France, losing (15:5) to Daouda Sow.
Summer Olympics and World Cup
In January 2008, Pedraza defended the lightweight national championship, defeating Reynaldo Ojeda (20:11) in the finals of the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos. At the American Olympic Qualifier, he debuted with a 20:4 victory over Valentino Knowles of Bahamas. In the quarterfinals he lost (13:5) to Yordenis Ugas. In April 2008, he entered the second American Olympic Qualifier, stopping Omar Ward of Barbados in the second round of his preliminary. He guaranteed a medal by defeating (15:8) Juan Cuellar of Argentina. In the semifinals, Pedraza stopped Alexis Folleco of Ecuador in the third round. He won the tournament's gold medal and qualified to the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
by defeating Lopes in a rematch. Pedraza debuted in the X Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte with a victory (19:8) over countryman Alberto Mercado. In the finals he defeated Shemuel Pagan of the United States by walk over. Prior to the Olympics Pedraza participated in the XXXVIII International Golden Belt Tournament, advancing to the semifinals before losing (37:25) to Vladimir Saruhanyan of Russia. As part of their training the boxing team moved to Corea
Corea
Corea may refer to:*Korea, the term for the civilization and culture composed currently of two countries, for which Corea is an alternate spelling in many languages other than English**Korean Peninsula, the land area which Korea occupies...
, in order to assimilate the horary changes. After training and participating in a series of exhibition matches, the team traveled from Corea to Beijin.
In his first Olympic fight, Pedraza defeated Onur Şipal
Onur Sipal
Onur Şipal is a Turkish amateur boxer best known to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. At , he weighs . He competes in the lightweight division at Fenerbahçe Boxing.His brother Önder Şipal is also an amateur boxer.-Career:...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
by points, with scores of 10–3. Throughout the event, his strategy focused on maintaining a solid defense while connecting combinations to his opponent's body. Pedraza lost his second preliminary to Daouda Sow
Daouda Sow
Daouda Sow is an amateur boxer from France. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the lightweight division.-Boxing career:...
of France by points, 13:9. He entered the 2008 Boxing World Cup
2008 Boxing World Cup
The 2008 Boxing World Cup is a boxing competition between top ranked boxers in different weight categories. It was held in Moscow, Russia from December 10 to December 14.- New format :...
, advancing to the semifinals with a 8:2 win over Georgian Popescu
Georgian Popescu
Georgian Popescu is an amateur boxer from Romania. He qualified to complete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the lightweight division.-References:...
of Romania. He won the bronze medal, losing (14:4) his next contest to Albert Selimov
Albert Selimov
Albert Shevketovich Selimov is a Russian amateur Featherweight boxer best known for winning the European championship 2006 and the World Championships 2007.-Career:...
of Russia. In February 2008, Pedraza defended the lightweight national championship in the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos, defeating Reynaldo Cintron in the preliminaries, Erick Vidal in the quarterfinals (WO), Edgardo Rivera in the semifinals and Ken Alvarez in the final (10:3). In May 2009, he entered the XII Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte and competed in the light welterweight limit, winning his first contest over Pedro Vicente by stoppage in three rounds. Pedraza won the silver medal, losing to Bernard Lebron in the finals by hit score following a 16:16 tie.
World medalist and regional championship
At the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships were held in Milan, Italy from September 1, 2009 to September 12, 2009 in the Mediolanum Forum. It was the biggest World Championships in AIBA history...
, Pedraza debuted by defeating Abdlay Anarbay of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
(10:4). In his second contest, he defeated Zorigtbaataryn Enkhzorig
Zorigtbaataryn Enkhzorig
Zorigtbaataryn Enkhzorig is an amateur boxer from Mongolia who competed at the 2006 Asian Games in the Featherweight division, beat Galib Jafarov and won the silver medal in a lost match against Uzbekistan's Bahodirjon Sultonov 15-37....
of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
(4:3). In the third date Pedraza defeated (6:5) Ljubomir Marjanovic of Serbia. A medal was secured with a (14:4) victory over Serdar Khudayberdiyev of Turkey in the quarterfinals. He advanced winning his contest against Albert Selimov, 9:5. In the finals, he lost a decision (9:4) to localist Domenico Valentino, winning the silver medal. In December 2009, Pedraza participated in the AIBA Presidents Cup, winning in his debut over Enkhzorig Zorigtbaatar. He lost a 21 decision to Semen Grivachev in the semifinals. An invitation was extended to him and the Arroyo brothers to participate in the World Series of Boxing, but it was declined. In January 2010, Pedraza defended the lightweight national championship in the finals of the Torneo Nacional Isaac Barrientos, defeating Jorge Maysonet, Jr. (4:3) in the quarterfinals, Jose Davila (3:2) in the semifinals and Edgardo Lopez in the finals. In April 2010, he defeated Davila (5:3) in the national team's selection meeting. In May 2010, he entered the XIII Torneo José "Cheo" Aponte, defeating Antonio Ortiz in the semifinals and Davila (5:0) in the final. He entered the 2010 Copa Olimpica, defeating Antonio Ortiz by points. In June 2010, Pedraza participated in he 2010 Pan-American Championships, debuting with a 14:1 victory over Joan Gonzalez of Venezuela. In the semifinals he defeated Erick Bonez (7:0). Pedraza won the silver medal, losing (8:3) to Yasnier Toledo Lopez in the final. In July he participated in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 18, 2010 to August 1, 2010.-Bid:...
, debuting with a 22:7 victory over Angel Gutierrez of Mexico. Pedraza advanced stopping Omar Ward in he second round. He defeated (10:1) Wellington Arias of the Dominican Republic in the semifinals. Pedraza won the old medal with a 10:2 victory over Cesar Villarraga of Colombia. On December 3, 2010, Pedraza participated in a dual against the United States defeating Duran Caferro, 16:3.
Professional career
Pedraza's intention to become a professional was made public on January 3, 2011. A press conference was held a week later, where he signed a contract with three different promoters, Universal Promotions of Puerto Rico, Gary Shaw Productions and DiBella Entertainment, who agreed to co-promote his career. His professional debut was scheduled for February 18, 2011. The opponent was Felix Rivera, who also debuted after compiling an amateur record of 68–5. Pedraza won the contest by technical knockout in the first round, following a combination to the head and body.The following month he participated in his first contest outside of Puerto Rico, defeating Corben Page in the same manner. On June 10, 2011, Pedraza was included in a boxing card held prior to the Puerto Rican Day Parade, a tradition among the diaspora in New York. The contest was stopped in the first round, following two knockdowns over his opponent, Tomi Archambault.