Top Rank promoter Bob Arum thinks highly of Filipino featherweight Michael Farenas who scored a second round TKO over Arturo Valenzuela in his US debut last October 6 on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch.
Arum told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Top Rank’s longtime matchmaker Bruce Trampler who has a tremendous eye for talent thinks the Filipino southpaw is a real prospect.
Arum said Farenas was “supposed to be signing with us (Top Rank) but nothing has happened.” WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who handles Farenas, a protégé of the past few years said the Top Rank offer was “not a good one” and claimed he had a better offer from Golden Boy Promotions.
Arum said Farenas who has a record of 18-2-2 with 16 knockouts is “very, very good” and said he needs to have him train in the US for a full year where he can “put him in fights and we can build him up and make him a star.”
The Top Rank promoter indicated they wanted to sign him up for a purpose because they “really think he can be terrific.
Farenas who is 23 years old has won his last three fights by TKO and is a devastating puncher.
