Tag Archives: Maurice Hooker
Maurice Hooker: “If He Stays At 147, I Would Love To Fight Danny Garcia”
By: Hans Themistode
It simply wasn’t the night Maurice Hooker was hoping for.
With the 32-year-old looking to make a big splash during his welterweight debut, Hooker attempted to halt the hype train of rising contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. The two battled it out in front of a mostly pro-Ortiz crowd in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas in 2021.
Despite Ortiz Jr. being known as a huge puncher, Hooker attempted to fight fire with fire, routinely meeting his younger and stronger opponent in the middle of the ring. Although he had his moments, Hooker would ultimately come up short, losing via seventh-round stoppage but citing a hand injury as the primary result.
Though he’s been spending his time sequestered on the sidelines, Hooker plans on not only returning to action soon but in a perfect world, he knows exactly whom he would face next.
“I would love to fight Danny Garcia but I think he’s about to move 154 now,” said Hooker during an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “If he stays at 147, I would love to make that happen. I would love to fight Danny Garcia. He’s a good fighter, he was one of the best at 140 and that’s a fight we can make happen.”
Garcia, a former two-division world champion, has remained out of the ring since losing a lopsided decision against unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in December of 2020. Following his failed attempt at another world title, Garcia has heavily considered a move up in weight. With the Philadelphian unwilling to hang up his gloves before winning gold in a third weight class, a move to 154 pounds is in his immediate future.
If, however, Garcia were willing to put his plans on hold and remain in the welterweight division, Hooker is putting his name first in line if Garcia is in need of an opponent at 147 pounds.
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Terence Crawford On Vergil Ortiz Jr. Calling Him Out: “He Really Don’t Want Me”
By: Hans Themistode
Terence Crawford was a bit stunned as he watched his stablemate Maurice Hooker succumb to a seventh-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Vergil Ortiz Jr. last night.
The WBO welterweight belt holder was even more surprised by what took place soon after.
Immediately following Ortiz Jr.’s win, he grabbed the microphone and proceeded to call out Crawford for a showdown later on this year.
While most of the boxing world began wondering how a contest between those two would play out, Crawford simply brushed off Ortiz Jr.’s comments. According to the pound-for-pound star, Ortiz Jr. was merely following the same script that many fighters do.
“He really don’t want me,” said Crawford following Ortiz Jr.’s win. “That’s just the thing to do, call for the fighters that’s at the top.”
Despite Crawford believing that Ortiz Jr. won’t knock on his door for a possible showdown, the 22-year-old has reiterated on numerous occasions that he will in fact pursue the Nebraska native. Currently, Ortiz Jr. ranks number two in the WBO sanctioning body.
Although most are under the impression that he is a bit too inexperienced to make the leap, the Dallas native is firmly under the belief that the fashion in which he handled Hooker should prove to the world that in actuality, he is ready.
Coming into his showdown against Hooker, many pegged the young contender to stop his man at some point during their match. Hooker, on the other hand, would hear none of it.
Early on, the former 140-pound champion used his height and movement to somewhat befuddle his younger opponent. Though he found moments of success, they were few and far between as Ortiz Jr. began breaking him down.
A sixth-round knockdown was the beginning of the end and the following round sealed it.
In what appeared to be a bit of a whacky play, Hooker landed a shot on the top of the head of Ortiz Jr. and immediately grabbed his hand in pain and took a knee. Referee Laurence Cole waved off their contest soon after.
Officially, Hooker was down considerably on all three judge’s scorecards. Yet in the mind of Crawford, their matchup was a close call.
“It was a good fight, Mo (Maurice Hooker) broke his hand but both of them did good. Vergil was slowing down but Mo got caught with a couple of good body shots that slowed him down too.”
Unlike some of his counterparts who choose to insult their possible future opponents in an effort to drum up interest for a feasible showdown, Crawford refused to bash the young star. The former three-division world champion simply tipped his cap and praised his efforts.
“He’s doing his thing and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. I got nothing negative to say about the dude.”
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Maurice Hooker: “Everybody Overlooking Me”
By: Hans Themistode
At this point, Maurice Hooker has lost track.
For most of his ten-year career, Hooker believes he has walked into the boxing ring with little to no one firmly in his corner. With undefeated knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. taking him on at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, tomorrow night, it neither surprises nor upsets him that he is considered a sizable underdog.
Despite being a former world champion, Hooker knows that many are banking on Ortiz Jr. to score the knockout win. In his opinion, however, those who doubt him may want to avoid watching what he does this Saturday night.
“I’m okay with it,” said Hooker during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Everybody overlooking me. I’m prepared for this and ready to go in there and upset a lot of people.”
Presently, Ortiz Jr. is pegged as one of the bright young stars in the sport of boxing. His 100% knockout ratio has positioned him as the number two contender in the WBO welterweight sanctioning body. Currently, pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford holds that title. Should he win, both Ortiz Jr. and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, have expressed an interest in making that fight happen next.
Hooker, on the other hand, believes they are wasting their breath even mentioning a Crawford showdown. After spending a good portion of his training camp sparring and discussing a game plan with the aforementioned Crawford, Hooker maintains that Ortiz Jr. will never get his chance to face him.
Regardless of Hooker losing his 140-pound title to Jose Ramirez in 2019, he is under the impression that the best is still yet to come.
“I’m anxious man. I’m ready to get in there and show the world why I’m still one of the best in the world.”
While Hooker claims that he pays little to no attention to the odds, the Dallas, Texas product has a difficult time understanding their reasoning.
Granted, Ortiz Jr. has annihilated everyone he has walked into the ring with, including his most recent opponent, Samuel Vargas. Yet for Hooker, he has several key advantages, the most glaring of them all, a ten-inch reach.
That, paired with his experience at the world class level, has the former belt holder incredulous that most are giving him no shot at winning.
“My skills, height and everything. I have all the advantages. A lot of people are going to be upset.”
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Robert Garcia Reveals The Immediate Plans Of Vergil Ortiz: “If Everything Goes Well In The Hooker fight, We Want Crawford Next”
By: Hans Themistode
Legally, Vergil Ortiz is barely allowed to drink liquor. However, that isn’t stopping his current trainer in Robert Garcia from believing his man is ready to face who many believe is the best fighter in the world.
“We are going after Crawford,” said Garcia during an interview with Little Giant Boxing. “That’s the fight we’re going after right now. I think Vergil is ready.”
Obtaining a fight with Crawford, the WBO 147 pound champion, could be much easier than many anticipate due to Ortiz (16-0, 16 KOs) ranking number two in the sanctioning body. But while a win over Crawford would stun the boxing world, the Dallas native has a major roadblock standing in his way in the form of one-time 140 champion Maurice Hooker.
The two are scheduled to meet in the main event slot at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on March 20th. Hooker, 31, is considered by far the toughest fight of Vergil’s career. A win is far from guaranteed, but if Vergil can pull it off, Garcia believes his welterweight contender would be in the best position possible to land a shot at Crawford.
“If everything goes well in the Hooker fight, we want Crawford next. Vergil is already ranked in the top two in the rankings, something like that. Golden Boy and Top Rank have been working together and doing championship fights together so I think it’s the easiest fight to make.”
After spending years facing what many would consider less than stellar opposition, Crawford is now staring down the barrel of a long line of several top contenders. Outside of a possible showdown with Ortiz, Crawford is rumored to be in the running to face either eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao or former two-time 147-pound belt holder, Shawn Porter. The pound-for-pound star was last seen in the ring roughly four months ago.
In an empty MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Crawford delivered a one-sided beating to former champion Kell Brook, dropping and later stopping the British native in the fourth round.
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Oscar De La Hoya: “Vergil Ortiz Will Beat Anybody At 147 Right Now”
By: Hans Themistode
Things can change immensely in a short time span. COVID-19 has proven that statement to be true as most of the world is still adjusting to life with the infectious disease. In the case of rising welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz, he’s proving that his professional career is also changing in just the blink of an eye.
After winning ESPN’s boxing prospect of the year in 2019, Ortiz now finds himself on the fast track to a world title as he takes on former belt holder Maurice Hooker on March 20th, in his hometown Dallas area. While Ortiz is solely focused on convincing everyone that he is truly a player at 147-pounds, promoter Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t need to be convinced any longer.
Although he might be just 22-years-old, De La Hoya has sat ringside at nearly every single one of the Dallas native’s fights and has witnessed body after body crumple in agony after getting blasted by his young star. Not only is De La Hoya under the impression that Ortiz will get past Hooker in roughly two months but he ultimately believes that no matter who is placed in front of him, the results will be the same.
“When you think about Vergil Ortiz, he has to be the best fighter out there at 147, or any in weight class for that matter,” said De La Hoya during a recent press conference. “I’ve said this all along, Vergil Ortiz will beat anybody at 147 right now.”
In the case of Hooker, he’ll present a much sterner test for Ortiz than what he has grown accustomed to. Not only has the 31-year-old former titlist faced fighters similar to Ortiz and managed to walk right through them but he’ll also have every physical advantage checked on his side of the boxes, including a ridiculous ten-inch reach over his man.
All of those reasons and more, have led De La Hoya to having a few restless nights as he admits it won’t be a walk in the park.
“I think Hooker has the advantage. He’s going to present to Vergil different movements, footwork, speed and mannerisms. They’re all totally different than what Vergil has been used to fighting. He’s fast, explosive and very elusive – it’s going to be different for Vergil. The question is will he pass that test? Will he knock Hooker out? Vergil Ortiz has been knocking everybody out so we want to see Vergil go several rounds.”
With Hooker holding the upper hand in nearly every category other than youth, many have questioned why on earth would De La Hoya place his young and quite possibly brightest star, in harm’s way with only 16 fights under his belt? For the former multiple division champion, however, he views the number of fights that Ortiz has accrued during his career as just that, merely a number.
Once upon a time, De La Hoya was in the same position as Ortiz. Just like the 2014 Hall of Famer managed to pass several tests placed in front of him at a young age, De La Hoya believes both he and Ortiz are cut from the same cloth. Should his young star leave the ring with another explosive victory on the night, then he’ll be well on his way to superstardom.
“I fought for my first world title when I had 11 fights. I believe Vergil Ortiz is on the verge of becoming a superstar. I think skies the limit if he gets past Hooker.”
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Maurice Hooker vs Vergil Ortiz Jr. Officially Set To Take Place On March 20th In Dallas Texas
By: Hans Themistode
The Dallas Texas area will be split right down the middle come March 20th.
Former 140 pound WBO belt holder Maurice Hooker and current welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr., are officially set to clash from their respective Dallas hometown with a chance to take a big step forward in their careers.
For Hooker, his upcoming showdown against Ortiz Jr. will represent his first in his new weight class. Originally, the former Jr welterweight champion was expected to take on a much lesser foe in order to get his feet wet in his newly joined division. However, with Ortiz Jr. currently holding the distinction as one of boxing’s hottest prospects, the 31-year-old views a matchup with Ortiz Jr. as a no brainer.
“I’ve never been one to shy away from a fight,” said Hooker. “The decision to fight Ortiz was an easy one as it allows me to prove to the world something that I already know, that I’m one of the best welterweights in the world. I have a new team around me who has taken my game to a whole new level, and I feel amazing at this weight class. I can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans on March 20. Dallas, get ready.”
While Hooker might be brimming with confidence, Ortiz Jr. feels the exact same way. Although he has yet to face anyone the caliber of Hooker, the soon to be 23-year-old has sent a statement to the welterweight division each and every time he has stepped foot inside of the ring. With none of his 16 career contests making it past the seventh round, Ortiz Jr. is not only excited to be facing someone that he has known most of his life but also someone that he knows will fight fire with fire.
“First and foremost, I’m really grateful to be fighting back at home again,” said Ortiz Jr. “Not only that, but I’ll be fighting another Dallas native in Maurice Hooker. I’ve known Hooker since back in the amateur days. I know we’re going to give the fans back at home a fight to remember.”
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Maurice Hooker Opens Up on Failed Regis Prograis Fight Negotiations: “He’s a Coward, I Will Slap That Dude”
By: Hans Themistode
The 2020 boxing schedule was turned upside down the moment COVID-19 announced it’s presence. Contests such as Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury 3 and Teofimo Lopez vs Vasiliy Lomachenko were thought to be impossible to make until at least 2021. Thankfully for fans though, promoter Bob Arum assured the public that those contests will in fact take place.
Wilder vs Fury has a tentative date of mid December, while Lomachenko vs Lopez is currently eyed for September 19th.
Unlike those newly rescheduled matchups, a contest between former 140 pound champions in Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker, which was originally set to take place on April 17th, at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, has gone by the wayside.
A matchup between the two former belt holders was amongst the most anticipated contests of the pre COVID-19 year. Plans to salvage the bout via a closed door event was recently discussed between both parties.
However, discussions never materialized into a new fight date as constant back and forth bickering over weight closed negotiations early.
Prograis immediately pointed the finger at his opponent, claiming that Hooker wasn’t “professional” amongst other choice words.
Now that their contest is dead in the water, Hooker has opened up about exactly what happened.
“I decided to move up to 147,” said Hooker on FightHub. “In my last two or three fights I’ve been having trouble making 140. Me making 140 takes a big toll on me on fight night. So I decided to move up to 147. I told Regis and them and he was just like he’s not going up to 147. So he said let’s do it at 144 and I told him that’s still too low. But he just kept trying to call shots like he’s Floyd Mayweather or something.”
“We both don’t have a belt so we can fight at whatever weight we want to. I told him let’s do 145 and he just kept saying nah 144 so I just left it alone. If you really want to fight me then you’ll just come up to 145. What’s one more pound? He really don’t want to fight.”
For Hooker, the back and forth discussion over weight was pointless. Making the 140 pound limit was taking a “big toll” on the 6 ft former champions body. And while 145 pounds wouldn’t be easy, Hooker was willing to acquiesce for one reason and one reason only.
“I’m willing to die making weight, just so I can get my hands on him,” explained Hooker. “I just want to beat the guy.”
Animosity in the boxing world is often manufactured as a way to sell tickets to the viewing public. But in the case of Hooker and Prograis, the genuine dislike for one another is as real as it gets.
“I will slap the shit out of that dude,” said Hooker. “He’s a coward. When he sees me in person he’s going to shut up, he won’t say shit. I promise he won’t say shit because I will slap that dude. When he sees me he better keep that same energy. And if he do, I’m a slap him.”
With their contest officially in the rear view mirror, fans can only imagine how things would have played out. For Hooker though, he doesn’t have to assume how their matchup was going to unfold. It’s clear as day for the former title holder.
“I was going to stop him. I was going to hurt him.”
