Michel Rivera Snags Easy Win Over Joseph Adorno
In his latest at bat, talented lightweight contender Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera (23-0, 14 KO’s) picked up his latest win. Rivera, 24, accomplished this by claiming the scalp of Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (14-1-2, 12 KO’s) by way of unanimous decision. This actually made back-to-back strenuous fights for Adorno, 22, who had just come off a tough majority draw against fellow amateur standout Jamaine Ortiz. Clearly not looking for any soft touches, it appears that Adorno’s ambition cost him in this affair as he picked up his first professional loss.
Unlike Adorno, Rivera slid into this match coming off a dominant, one-sided victory over Matias Romero. Also unlike Adorno, La Zarza Ali did not enjoy the same lush amateur career that Blessed Hands (156-22, 65 KO’s) did. He only amassed a 20-3, 17 KO’s ledger to his name. Even still, the confident Dominican, ranked #2 (WBA), #7 (IBF), #9 (WBO) and #13 (WBC), picked up the quality win.
DEATH BY THE JAB
During the opening period, both men fought at range and chose to primarily utilize their jabs. Of the two, it was the taller and longer Rivera who was coming forward and pressing the action. While nothing Earth shattering landed, Rivera’s offense enjoyed better traction in the second. His pesky and ever-present jab was chipping away at Adorno and opened up the chance to land a handful of significant hard shots in the final 45 seconds of the period.
Over the next few rounds, very little changed in the fight as Adorno continued to struggle to solve the riddle of Rivera’s jab. Blessed Hands did land a single big right hook in the sixth but was unable to follow up on the shot because La Zarza Ali quickly resumed control.
The final rounds of the fight were basically Xerox copies of all the ones that preceded it. Rivera ruled the ring behind his jab and by controlling the distance. Adorno would occasionally land good body shots, but nothing devastating or consistent enough to change the dynamics of the match. This is why it was no surprise that Rivera won a wide unanimous decision with three consenting scores of 97-93.
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By: Bakari Simpson
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