Joseph Adorno Narrowly Defeats Hugo Roldan!
In boxing, the transition from prospect to contender is not as easy as it seems. There are several tests a fighter must encounter before they move on to the next stage. If not brought along properly, fighters can find themselves at a crossroads earlier than expected in their career. On September 10, junior welterweight Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (17-1-2, 14KO) was in the same situation and narrowly escaped with a close unanimous decision against Hugo Alberto Roldan (21-1-1, 7KO) live on the Showtime ShoBox series.
THE BACKSTORY
Blessed Hands had a good buzz surrounding him earlier in his career by knocking out twelve of his first fourteen opponents. In 2020, he got a draw against relatively unknown Hector Garcia Montes. In 2021, Adorno, in a good prospect versus prospect fight, got another draw against Jamaine Ortiz.
With the two draws on his resume, Adorno took a major setback after losing to top lightweight contender Michel Rivera in 2022. So going into the fight against Roldan, a lot was on the line for the 23-year-old New Jersey native.
A NARROW ESCAPE
Adorno came out boxing nicely at the beginning working off the jab and using the entire ring to offset Roldan’s aggression. In the second round, he landed a solid check left hook that dropped the Argentinian who was making an American debut. He had the first half of the fight under control and was poised to get an easy win.
Well, not so fast, Roldan came alive in the second half, and his awkwardness had Adorno in an uncomfortable back-and-forth battle until the final bell sounded. In a close nip-and-tuck contest, all three judges scored 95-94 for Adorno, with the early knockdown being the saving grace.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR ADORNO?
By narrowly surviving, Adorno needs to get back into the gym and get to work. This is starting to become a pattern where he under-performs in the second half of fights and is forced to engage in a war.
A rematch is in order as some felt Roldan could have gotten the nod. If the rematch happens or not, one thing is for certain Adorno is not ready for the next level just yet.
By: Garrisson Bland
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