Joseph Adorno will have his best opportunity on Friday to prove that he is better than he showed in his only loss last March.
Adorno, who was outpointed by talented lightweight contender Michel Rivera, will face Hugo Alberto Roldan in a scheduled 10-round “ShoBox: The New Generation” junior welterweight bout at Bally’s Event Center in Atlantic City, New York. Jersey (Showtime).
The once amateur standout was a late replacement for the Shinard Bunch, who pulled out of the Roldan fight for personal reasons.
“This fight is definitely an opportunity to restart my career a little bit. After the loss, I see this as my recovery. I am determined to make up for what happened that night. I am extremely happy I got the call and can’t wait for the doorbell to ring.
“I’m so excited for this fight I don’t even know how to explain it.”
The setback against Rivera was just the latest leg of a difficult streak for Adorno (16-1-2, 14 KOs) starting in 2020, in which he failed to win in three straight fights.
He drew with Héctor García Montes in January 2020 and then did the same against undefeated Jamaine Ortiz in April of last year before Rivera defeated him via one-sided decision (97-93 on all three scorecards) on Showtime.
Adorno bounced back from the Rivera loss to stop journeymen Juan Santiago and Roberto Almazán Monreal in six scheduled rounds in May and July, respectively.
“I learned a lot in that fight against Rivera,” said Adorno, who weighed in at 139.5 pounds Thursday. “I learned that I need to be a little more active. I learned that the undefeated record is not everything. Everybody wants to protect it, so you want to fight to protect that ‘0’. But I think he needed that loss.
“I needed that loss to focus more and learn that you’re not going to be perfect every time, so you have to keep working hard. The more you work, the better you become. Before that loss, she thought she was unbeatable. helped me. It opened my eyes a lot. I am grateful for that loss. It woke me up and it’s the reason I’m working the way I am now.”
Meanwhile, Roldan (21-0-1, 7 KOs) has the biggest chance to show what he can do on a big stage.
The Argentine has won four straight fights since drawing with compatriot Agustin Gerbaldo Kucharski in December 2019. Friday’s fight will be his first in the United States.
“I think Adorno is a tougher fighter than the first opponent he was supposed to face,” said Roldan, who weighed in at the division limit of 140. “But it’s also a good opportunity to show everyone what I can do against a fighter of this caliber. .
“I have come so far in my career that I am very happy for this opportunity and I really appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do. I haven’t thought about the future and what’s next, but I want to move on and keep moving forward.”
