Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno, a former heavy-handed amateur standout, was forced to rely on his cunning and discipline to fend off a dogged effort from Hugo Alberto Roldan as he won a 10-round unanimous decision in the welterweight main event. of ShoBox on Friday in the Grand Ballroom of Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
Adorno, who won by scores of 95-94, 95-94, 95-94 and recorded a knockdown in the second round, slumped to the canvas, overcome with emotion as the judges’ scorecards were read.
After losing a competitive decision to lightweight contender Michel Rivera in March for the first loss of his career, Adorno (17-1-2, 14 KOs) won his third fight in a row on Friday, showing poise and composure to avoid the Unorthodox advances from Roldan, who suffered his first loss and dropped to 21-1-1 with 7 KOs.
“I feel like all the hard work I’ve put in since I was a little kid is finally starting to pay off and it’s coming together,” said Adorno, who took the fight with Roldan on four weeks notice after the Shinard Bunch pulled out of the event. major. .
“I lost a little bit of love for boxing for a while. But I am proud. He was an awkward fighter. I accepted the fight on short notice. He is a weight class above me. I am a 135 lbs. All hard work is rewarded by him. I went through a lot in the ring tonight, as any fighter does. I hurt my hand. I got a head butt that almost closed my eye. But I got over it all. I have what it takes. I can hang in there with the best. Give me a couple more fights and I’ll be ready for anyone.”
Adorno of Allentown, Pennsylvania, seemed headed for an easy win when he dropped Argentina’s Roldan to end the second round with a counter left hook at the bell. But Roldan’s aggressive and gruff style seemed to confuse and frustrate Adorno in the second half of the fight. Roldan’s engine never slowed down. He was like a slingshot shooting out of the corner to start each round as Adorno, a skilled counterpuncher, did his best to fend off Roldan’s onslaught.
After showing off and dancing a bit in the ring after stunning Roldan with a right hand to end the fourth, Adorno calmed down and relied on his deft boxing skills and the occasional power punch to come out with a narrow victory. When the fight ended, both boxers showed the badges of his efforts: Roldan’s left eye was nearly swollen shut, while Adorno had a deep swelling under his left eye but a victorious smile.
“You learn a lot from a fight like this,” Adorno said. “In boxing, you are going to face guys with different styles. Not everyone is going to be the same. Weird guys like Roldan make you look ugly. But you have to get over it, listen to your corner and adapt. That’s what we did tonight. He came out with that aggressive style because he knew he had to throw a lot of punches to win the fight. I understand that. He’s not a power puncher, so he had to throw punches to stand a chance. I’m glad we got the win.”
