Jose Pedraza

Professional Career

 

Jose Pedraza began his professional journey on February 18, 2011, with a first-round TKO victory over Felix Rivera at Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns in Ponce, Puerto Rico. This auspicious debut heralded the arrival of a promising talent in the super featherweight division.

 

Pedraza’s early career was characterized by a series of dominant performances, including a TKO win against Tevin Farmer in 2012 and a successful capture of the IBO super featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Alberto Garza in 2014. By 2015, Pedraza had secured the IBF super featherweight title by defeating Andrey Klimov, and he successfully defended it against Edner Cherry and Stephen Smith. However, his title reign was halted in January 2017 when he lost to Gervonta Davis via TKO, marking his first professional defeat.

 

Despite the setback, Pedraza demonstrated resilience and adaptability by moving up to the lightweight division. He captured the WBO lightweight title on August 25, 2018, with a unanimous decision victory over Raymundo Beltrán. Pedraza then faced the formidable Vasiliy Lomachenko on December 8, 2018, in a unification bout, where he put up a valiant effort but ultimately lost by unanimous decision. Pedraza’s career in the light-welterweight division included notable wins over Antonio Lozada Jr. and Javier Molina, as well as a tough loss to Jose Zepeda in September 2019. In 2021, he secured a significant victory over Julian Rodriguez, who retired after the eighth round, showcasing Pedraza’s enduring skill and tenacity.

 

However, Pedraza’s career faced further challenges in 2022 and 2023. He lost to José Ramírez and Arnold Barboza Jr. in high-stakes bouts, and he fought to a split draw against Richard Commey. In February 2024, Pedraza encountered another setback, losing to Keyshawn Davis by TKO in the sixth round, a bout that also involved the WBO Inter-Continental, WBC USNBC, and vacant IBF USBA lightweight titles.