Elvis Rodriguez’s lengthy layoff has been scheduled to end February 25.
BoxingScene.com has learned Rodriguez will oppose Joseph Adorno next month in a junior welterweight clash Showtime will televise from The Armory in Minneapolis. As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Showtime’s tripleheader that night also will feature hard-hitting Puerto Rican contender Subriel Matias (18-1, 18 KOs) against Argentina’s Jeremias Ponce (30-0, 20 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title.
The Dominican Republic’s Rodriguez (13-1-1, 12 KOs) will fight for the third time since Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. (19-2-1, 7 KOs) upset him by majority decision in an eight-rounder that took place in May 2021 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The 26-year-old southpaw most recently knocked out Argentina’s Juan Jose Velasco (24-3, 15 KOs) in the seventh round of a bout Showtime aired from The Armory last March 26.
Adorno (17-1-2, 14 KOs), a native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, will take his toughest test since another Dominican contender, Michel Rivera, out-boxed him and dealt Adorno his only professional loss last March 26 at The Armory. Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs), who was unbeaten at that time, defeated Adorno by the identical score of 97-93 on each card to win a 10-round unanimous decision in the opener of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” broadcast.
The 23-year-old Adorno has won three straight fights since Rivera beat him.
Adorno edged Argentina’s Hugo Roldan (21-1-1, 7 KOs) in his last fight, a 10-rounder that took place September 9 at Bally’s Event Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The second-round knockdown Adorno recorded against Roldan emerged as the difference on all three scorecards. Judges John McKaie, Joseph Pasquale and Robin Taylor all credited Adorno for a 95-94 win, but they scored five rounds apiece for Adorno and Roldan.
Showtime also aired Adorno-Roldan as a “ShoBox: The New Generation” main event.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.