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After a very successful amateur that took him all the way to 2012 Olympic Game in London, Felix Verdejo will become a professional boxer under the Top Rank banner, the best boxing company in the world today.   

Verdejo, who won his first two bouts in the Olympic Games, but lost in the quarterfinals to eventual gold medal winner and two-time world Vasyl Lomachenko, has signed a promotional contract with Top  Rank and hopes to make his professional debut later this year.

The right-handed standout started boxing when he was 13 years old and made his first splash in the world boxing scene in 2009 when he won a gold medal in an International Youth Tournament in Ecuador and was a mainstay of the national team since then.

“To have earned a spot in the Olympic team was a very important, but I also understood the responsibility that I have to Puerto Rico and I thank God that I was able to accomplish something that every fighters dreams of,” said Verdejo.

“Going to the London was something very special for me, it brought fruit to all the sacrifices and hard work I had done since I was very Young,” added Verdejo.

Some of his highlights of his amateur included the gold he won in 2009 in the Youth Championship in Ecuador, his gold in the Golden Belt Tournament in 2011 in Ecuador, he also participated in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, won bronze in the “Copa Romana” in the Dominican Republic in 2012 and qualify to the 2012 Olympic Games by winning the gold medal in the Olympic Qualify Tournament in Río de Janeiro, Brazil.

In London, the defeated Juan Huertas of Panama (11-5) in the first stage and then beat Ahmed Mejri (16-7) of Tunisia in his second bout on his way to the quarterfinals.

Verdejo who is 19 years-old, was born in San Juan and ended his amateur carrer with an impressive record of 104 wins y 17 losses.

He is one of five children in his family, he is enjoys playing baseball and is thinking of going to the University of Rio Piedras  in the future.

About his style he said: “I like to counter punch because I believe my hand speed is one of my strengths and that has I am better able to use it."

AMATEUR CAREER

2012 – AIBA American Olympic Qualification Tournament (Rio de Janeiro, BRA) 1st place – 60KG Won against Wellington Arias (DOM) 13:7 in the final; Won against Edwar Marriaga (COL) 21:7 in the semi-final; Won against Angel Gutierrez (MEX) 17:8 in the quarter-final; Won against Juan Reyes (GUA) 14:7 in the second preliminary round; Won against Isaac Gutierrez (CHI) 14:3 in the first preliminary round
2012 – MEX-PUR Dual Match – 60KG Won against Luis Daniel Flores (MEX) 12:6
2011 – Panamerican Games (Guadalajara, MEX) participant – 56KG Lost to Robinelson De Jesus Vieira (BRA) 13:3 in the quarter-final
2011 – La Romana Cup (La Romana, DOM) 3rd place – 56KG Lost to William Encarnacion (DOM) 17:10 in the semi-final
2011 – Cheo Aponte Tournament (Caguas, PUR) 1st place – 56KG Won against Luis Rosario (PUR) 14:6 in the final; won against Robinelson De Jesus (BRA) by points in the semi-final
2011 – Juan Venegas Tournament (San Juan, PUR) 1st place – 56KG Won against Luis Rosario (PUR) 15:10 in the final; Won against Luis Salazar (DOM) 12:6 in the semi-final; Won against Robinelson De Jesus Vieira (BRA) 8:6 in the quarter-final
2011 – 1st Panamerican Games Qualifier (Cumana, VEN) 2nd place – 56KG Lost to Lazaro Alvarez (CUB) 6+:6 in the final; Won against Luis Salazar (DOM) 5+:5 in the semi-final; Won against Luis Feliciano (USA) 13:6 in the quarter-final
2011 – Puerto Rican National Championships 1st place – 56KG Won against Alberto Machado (PUR) 11:3 in the final; Beat Jose Rosario (PUR) by points in the semi-final
2010 – CAN-PUR Dual Match2 – 54KG Won against Rega Jihad (CAN) 3:0
2010 – CAN-PUR Dual Match1 – 54KG Won against Francois Pratte (CAN) 3:0
2010 – Juan Venegas Cup (San Juan, PUR) 1st place – 54KG Won against Carlos Narvaez (PUR) by points in the final
2010 – Cheo Aponte Tournament (Caguas, PUR) 2nd place – 54KG Lost to Camilo Perez (PUR) 10:8 in the final; Won against Carlos Narvaez (PUR) by points in the semi-final
2010 – AIBA Youth World Championships (Baku, AZE) participant – 54KG Lost to Vadim Semin (RUS) 7:6 in the second preliminary round; Won against Sho Nakazawa (JPN) 12:1 in the first preliminary round
2010 – Panamerican Youth Championships (Santo Domingo, CUB) 1st place – 54KG Won against Gilson Barros (BRA) 3:2 in the final; Won against Juan Yonelvi Medina (DOM) 14:2 in the semi-final; Won against Yunior Ribalta (CUB) 7:4 in the quarter-final
2010 – Puerto Rican Youth National Championships 1st place – 54KG
2009 – PUR-CAN Youth Dual Match2 – 51KG Won against Ahmed Karatella (CAN) RSC 4th round