Nicholas Walters and Joseph Adorno clash in high-stakes crossroads bout
It could be the ultimate crossroads bout for both of them. The winner could become a major player at 135 pounds.
Nicholas Walters will face Joseph Adorno tonight at the Whitesands (also known as the ProBox TV) Events Center in Plant City, Florida and will stream live on the ProBox TV application and YouTube channel (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).
At Tuesday’s weigh-in, Walters weighed in at 133.6 pounds. Adorno came in at 134.8 pounds.
Both fighters arrive at tonight’s fight with a lot to gain, including putting past setbacks behind them and reinvigorating their careers in the lightweight division.
Walters (28-1-1, 22 knockouts), who is originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica and now resides in Panama City, Panama, held the WBA featherweight belt from December 2012 until June 2015, making three successive defenses. In his only defeat, he challenged then-WBO world junior lightweight titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko, losing by knockout after round seven.
The 38-year-old did not fight for more than six years, finally returning to the ring on February 25 of last year, defeating Luis Diaz Marmol by unanimous decision. In his last bout on November 22, Walters stopped journeyman Reynaldo Esquiva in the second round.
Walters reportedly weighed in at 148 pounds for that fight.
Adorno also notched a knockout win over a journeyman fighter in his last bout, knocking out Jonathan Perez in the fifth round of his last bout on November 4.
The 24-year-old Adorno (18-3-2, 15 KOs), who resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania, suffered back-to-back decision defeats to Elvis Rodriguez and, most recently, Edwin De Los Santos. Other results for Adorno include a decision loss to Michel Rivera and a decision victory over Hugo Alberto Roldan.
In the co-feature, once-beaten junior welterweights Jesus Saracho and Starling Castillo (18-1-1, 13 KOs) of the Dominican Republic will square off in a 10-round bout.
Saracho originally came in at 141.2 pounds, and eventually dropped down to 140.2 pounds. Castillo weighed in at 140 pounds.
The southpaw Saracho (13-1-1, 11 KOs), who is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico and now resides in Auburn, Washington, fought to a majority decision draw against Tarik Zaina in his last bout on June 23. The 22-year-old is unbeaten in his last four bouts since a knockout loss to Deonte Brown in March 2022.
Castillo has not fought since May 13, defeating Esteuri Suero by unanimous decision in a foul-filled fight. The 28-year-old is unbeaten in his last three bouts since a one-sided decision loss to junior lightweight contender Otar Eranosyan.
In the opening bout of the ProBox TV stream, Omar Juarez (14-2, 5 KOs) of Brownsville, Texas will face Clarence Booth (21-9, 13 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, Florida in a 10-round bout.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]
