Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (16-1-2, 14 KOs), a former amateur standout with one-punch knockout power, and undefeated Argentine prospect Hugo Alberto Roldan (21-0-1, 7 KOs) both made weight at Thursday’s official weigh-in a day ahead of their 10-round super lightweight main event on SHOBOX: The New Generation tomorrow night, Friday, September 9 live on SHOWTIME as the prospect developmental series returns to Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, the site of the first SHOBOX® on July 21, 2001.
The co-feature matches undefeated Filipino prospect Bernard Angelo Torres (16-0, 7 KOs) against Dominican Frency Fortunato (13-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight attraction. The telecast opens with SHOBOX returnee Janelson Bocachica (17-0-1, 11 KOs) taking on knockout artist Roiman Villa (24-1, 24 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight battle.
Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the action from ringside with veteran combat sports reporter and MORNING KOMBAT host Brian Campbell and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts with Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties. The executive producer of SHOBOX: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Chuck McKean producing and Rick Phillips directing.
The event is promoted by Sampson Boxing.
FINAL WEIGHTS
Super Lightweight 10-Round Bout
Joseph Adorno – 139 ½ lbs.
Hugo Alberto Roldan – 140 lbs.
Referee: Benjy Esteves Jr. (New York); John McKaie (New York), Joseph Pasquale (New Jersey), Robin Taylor (New York).
Featherweight 10-Round Bout
Bernard Angelo Torres – 125 ½ lbs.
Frency Fortunato – 126 ½ lbs.
Referee: Mary Glover (New Jersey); Judges: Jacklyn Atkins (New Jersey), Mark Consentino (New Jersey), Paul Wallace (Maryland).
Welterweight Eight-Round Bout
Janelson Bocachica – 147 lbs.
Roiman Villa – 146 lbs.
Referee: Harvey Dock (New Jersey); Judges: Jacklyn Atkins (New Jersey), Mark Consentino (New Jersey), Paul Wallace (Maryland).
FINAL QUOTES:
Joseph Adorno
“I was at home laying down just chilling with my kids when I got a call from my trainer ‘Chino’ [Raul Rivas] asking me if I would take this fight. You know me, I’ll take any fight. Whatever ‘Chino’ said, I’ll go with him. Ever since he came into my life, I let him guide me. He said we’re going to beat this guy, and that’s all it took. I got up, went for a jog and the next day I was training.
“I’ve only seen a few seconds of Roldan. I don’t like watching too much tape of my opponents because the way they fought in that fight doesn’t mean they’re going to fight the same way with me. I don’t want to put something in my mind that may not happen. ‘Chino’ works on the game plan and we’re just hoping for a good fight.
“This fight is definitely an opportunity to reset my career a bit. After the loss, I look at this as my get-back. I’m determined to make up for what happened on that night. I’m extremely happy that I got the call and I can’t wait for the bell to ring. I’m so excited for this fight I don’t even know how to explain it.
“I learned a lot in that fight against [Michel] Rivera. I learned that I need to be a little bit more active. I learned that the undefeated record isn’t everything. Everybody wants to protect it, so you want to fight to protect that ‘0’. But I think I needed that loss.
“I needed that loss to focus more and learn that you’re not going to be perfect at all times so you have to keep working hard. The harder you work, the better you get. Before that loss, I thought I was unbeatable. It helped me. It opened up my eyes a lot. I’m thankful for that loss. It woke me up and is the reason I’m working the way I am now.”
Hugo Alberto Roldan
“I do think Adorno is a tougher fighter than the first opponent I was supposed to face [Shinard Bunch]. 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’m so happy for this opportunity and I really appreciate the chance to show what I can do. I haven’t thought about the future and what’s next, but I want to keep moving forward and keep advancing.
“In terms of coming to the sport late, I’m a very confident person. I’m a hard worker and I have confidence in my abilities. I really see that as an advantage. Being from where I’m from, Sergio Martinez is certainly an inspiration when I was coming up, since he also took up boxing late and has been able to accomplish so much so he’s definitely an inspiration to me.
“When I fight, I’m always looking for the knockout. I train for the knockout so that’s what I try to make happen.
“My last fight I had to get up twice off the canvas, but it was a learning experience and it helped me to see things that I can do better for future fights, that I can change. I went back to Argentina, and I trained to improve myself, the things I did wrong or could have done better, technical things.
“I know my opponent is a good puncher, but I also love to fight, and I will follow my strategy and adapt to what the fighter in front of me is doing. I will work around whatever becomes available in the course of the fight.
“Being in camp with the Fundoras has been a great experience and taught me a lot and helped me grow as a fighter and improve.
“It means a lot for me to be debuting in the United States. I’ve worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to be here. I’ve come a long way and I want to continue having more of these big fights in the U.S., against fighters who are established to make myself better as a fighter.”
Bernard Angelo Torres
“This fight means a lot for me and my career. It’s a really big opportunity for me to show my power and what I’m capable of on a big stage.
“I am a Norwegian citizen. We ended up in Norway after my father died when I was 10 years old and my mother had to work abroad in there. There were six of us kids, so she had to work outside the country to earn money. After three or four years, she got us and brought us over. I know my father would be very proud of me and what I’m doing in my career.
“I started boxing in the Philippines because my father was very interested in boxing. We dreamed together of one day becoming a champion. Of course, I was inspired by Manny Pacquiao who was a big inspiration to my career, but I never met him. I hope to one day meet him.
“My opponent is a good boxer. I think he’s going to use his reach. In terms of my strategy and how I’m going to fight him and if I’m going to try and get on the inside, I don’t know. We’ll see what he brings in the early rounds but we have a good game plan to box smart.
“I’ve never fought anyone as tall as my opponent in the pros, but I faced tall fighters in the amateurs, and we had good sparring in camp with plenty of tall fighters.
“We started camp in Norway and then finished in Spain and I got to spar with Michael Conlan and Harlem Eubank. It was a very good experience. I also got to spar with Conlan last year when he was getting ready for a fight. I’m always learning from these experiences.”
Frency Fortunato
“I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to showcase my skills on national television for a long time. Whatever Torres brings, I’ll be ready. I think I have the tools to counter whatever he brings.
“I was knocked down in my loss, I just learned from it and got better. I didn’t dwell on it. I’ve become a better fighter and learned so much. I learned about my conditioning and to not punch myself out. I didn’t manage the rounds well. I know my conditioning is better now and I can go the rounds.
“In the ring, my focus is to box, but I see myself as a boxer and a puncher. I don’t go in there to look for the knockouts but if I hurt the guy, I will go for the KO. I’m usually looking to box but if I hit my opponent cleanly, he’s going to go down.
“We have worked and prepared to make sure we’re ready for whatever our opponent brings. I think I’m more of a complete fighter than my opponent and I’m going to use my boxing skills and range. I feel I’m the bigger puncher.
“I’m fighting on SHOBOX for the opportunity and for the chance to showcase my talent on national TV. I hope for a huge showing on Friday and then move on to bigger and better fights. I’m coming to win and while I’m not looking for the knockout, I do feel like I can stop him on Friday night.”
Janelson Bocachica
“I’m feeling better than I ever have. I expect for a fight to break out and I expect for him to get angry and try to look for a knockout. But with my skills, it’s going to be tough for him to touch me. I think it’s going to be a really, really bad night for Roiman Villa. And a great night for me.
“I want everyone to know that Janelson is not just a puncher, that he can box. I’ve been training with sparring partners that are bigger than me – my sparring partners are always bigger in weight. I’m used to getting punched hard.
“For this training camp we actually had Danny Garcia. Danny’s a puncher. We have the punching power, but this fight I want to show so much more. I want to showcase skills.
“Boxing is not about who is stronger or who can take the biggest punch, it’s about winning and skills. There’s a science to boxing and it’s not about who’s tougher or the most macho.
“I learned from the Shinard Bunch fight that I gotta use that jab. I’ve got to leave all the haymakers behind. In the third round I was like, ‘This guy is still standing?’ And I came back to my corner and telling my dad this is the last round. I’ve got to stop thinking like that. You can’t knock everyone out.
“My last three guys I’ve fought were against Chino’s [Roiman Villa’s trainer Raul Rivas] guys. I don’t know what he has going against me. I’m ready to close his gym down like I told him last time. He can bring anyone he wants. We’re not worried about nothing. He’s an aggressive fighter who likes to brawl, and he gets mad very easy. I think it’s going to be a quicker night than he’s expecting.”
Roiman Villa
“We’ve been working a lot for my U.S. debut. I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity because I know what being in the U.S. means for a fighter. This is really the beginning of my career, even though I have 24 KOs. I know that this is the moment when everything really starts to count for me.
“For us, it’s very important to go for the knockout because we don’t like to leave it in the judges’ hands. I prepare for the fight to win by knockout. That’s the way I prefer to fight and that’s why I end up with the same result every time.
“I’m prepared to go the rounds as well if I need to. We trained in high altitude. I know how to maintain my power throughout all the rounds and I can go the full distance and win a decision as well.
“I don’t like watching tape on my opponent too much. I rely on my team and my trainer, ‘Chino.’ He knows how to put the strategy together and I will follow his instructions. I think my pressure is going to bring him down.
“I come from a family of 10 boys and they’re all boxers. I’m the only one who turned professional but we all fought in the amateurs. And I’m one of the youngest brothers. I had to fight the biggest ones to survive. That’s what made me what I am today. You had to fight your way out.
“Even though everyone can have their opinion about what happened in the fight I lost, I know that during those 12 rounds, I beat him up. Behind the scenes, we know what happened and why they didn’t want to give us the decision.”