FightPost Boxer of the Week: Maurice Hooker

FightPost Boxer of the Week: Maurice Hooker

By Michael Richards

Mighty Mo lives up to his name

Action on these shores last weekend came from small hall shows in both Manchester and York Hall. Liam Taylor avenged his only career loss by defeating Tyrone Nurse and Wadi Camacho grabbing the Commonwealth Cruiserweight title against Arfan Iqbal. Over in Bilbao, Frankie Gavin lost the opportunity to win the European Welterweight strap on the scales, but regardless was emphatically dispatched by the powerful and ruthless Kerman Lejarraga.

Moving stateside, we were treated to some battles, with a contentious draw between Gabriel Rosado and Luis Arias and Brandon Rios eventually stopping a game Ramon Alvarez. Headlining the card, Jarrell Miller picked up a comfortable stoppage victory against Bogdan Dinu, as he looks to step up to world level in 2019.

Despite all this, my stand out performance comes from a current world champion and a man who seems to be improving with each fight. Maurice Hooker went into his first defence of his WBO Super Lightweight against Alex Saucedo on the back of a career best performance against Terry Flanagan. Upon winning the title against the tough Mancunian, Hooker propelled himself into the limelight and was in turn picked up by the newly formed Matchroom Boxing USA promotional banner.

The most impressive aspect of his performance on Friday night was how he regrouped from being knocked down by a stiff right in the second round. The home town crowd were manic at this point, willing Saucedo to finish the job. It was at this point that true champions show their heart and rise from the canvas and ‘Mighty Mo’ sure did that. He saw out the round and boxed his way beautifully back into the fight, counterpunching well. Saucedo was still busy, but Hookers long jab came into play, with a great burst of punches knocking his opponent off-balance late in the fifth.

The sixth saw Hooker really take over, landing cleanly numerous times, causing swelling of Saucedo’s left eye.

The end of the contest came in the seventh round, with a right hands staggering Saucedo, with the ropes saving him from hitting the canvas. The referee ruled it a knockdown and that was all Hooker needed to close the show. He jumped on Saucedo after the count, bouncing him onto the ropes once again, which was enough for the referee to step in and call an end to the contest.

Saucedo proved himself to be game and strong, but the night was all about Hooker. He is proving to not only be a true world champion, but one of the best in the division. The biggest crime is that he isn’t part of the ongoing World Boxing Super Series. The hope is he moves forwards and gets the exposure he deserves. One thing’s for sure, with Eddie Hearn promoting him, he will never be short of options.

Photo Credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images