Joseph Adorno

Just 19 years old, Joseph is a one-year pro. A sensational prospect at 130 pounds, he was an amateur standout before his debut.

He is co-managed and co-trained by his father, Anibal Adorno, and Robert Garcia, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “2012 Trainer of the Year.”

Joseph stayed active with eight fights in his first 19 months as a pro and has given very impressive performances – all eight of his wins have been by knockout, six in the first round.

In his last fight on July 7, 2018, in Fresno, California, he won by third-round TKO against Guadalupe De Leon.

ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported from ringside [excerpts]: Power-punching prospect Joseph Adorno, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was extended past the second round for the first time as he knocked out Guadalupe De Leon, of Mission, Texas, in the third round of their scheduled six-round junior lightweight fight.

Adorno, who came into the fight with six first-round knockouts and one in the second round, dropped De Leon in the third round, and then when Adorno pinned him in the corner, [the] referee topped the fight at 2 minutes, 32 seconds. [End Rafael item]

In an earlier interview, co-manager and trainer Robert Garcia said, “My son, Robert Jr., told me about this kid. Some of my friends from San Antonio had seen him fight in the Junior Olympics and they told my son, ‘You’ve got to check out this kid, Joseph Adorno.’

“Most of the kids I manage and train are Mexican or Mexican-American, and Robert told me this kid is Puerto Rican. We’re not too familiar with their culture but I said, ‘Let’s check him out.’ Robert showed me some videos, and man, this kid’s got that Mexican style!

“I told Robert, ‘You’ve got to start reaching out to him and see if they want to meet us.’ The kid and his dad were very happy that we reached out to them. I was in San Antonio and I met them there. I flew them in and met his mom and dad, and it started there.

“We brought him to my gym in Riverside and he sparred. He did really good. The Top Rank matchmakers, Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman, saw Joseph spar and said that he looks like a young Miguel Cotto – you know, coming forward, side-to-side, with a beautiful left hook to the body. Man, that’s a good compliment!

“He’s got a bright future – he’s dedicated. His father is with him 24/7, and they’re humble, down-to-earth. The plan is for him to finish high school first. Once he graduates, we’ll do our training camps at my gym in Riverside, California.”

Joseph said, “I got to know Robert Garcia through Instagram. I post a lot of videos and stuff, like every day that I train. I guess Robert’s son seen it and was like, ‘Yo dad, look at this!’ They got on Instagram and started talking to me and we met up.

“I went to Robert’s gym and sparred. I was there for a week. At home, I train at the Allentown International Gym.

“I can do it all in the ring, but my main plan is to stay calm, use my jab and a lot of hard combinations. If I have to box, I box. If I have to go get the fight, I go get the fight.

“Robert Garcia is going to be in my corner with my dad. It’s going to be a great experience – something we’ve never had in the corner.

“They used to call me ‘Kid Sensation’ until I was 15. But now that I’m older, they changed my name – that’s when I started knocking people out. Now my name is ‘Blessed Hands.’ “