Vergil Ortiz Jr (17-0, 17 KOs) took home the bragging rights between Dallas born fighters with the seventh round stoppage of former 140lb world champ Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (27-2-3, 19 KOs) in Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena.
Both men brought the action from the opening bell, bringing fight fans to their feet. Ortiz tried to walk Hooker to the ropes to detonate his hard shots but Hooker was quick to use his reach advantage to land powerful right hands in the third, bringing toe to toe action before Hooker closed the round with two big left hooks.
Hooker started the fourth strong but Ortiz was showing his adaptability, landing his powerful right hand as the fourth came to a close whilst dominant in the fifth.
Ortiz finally wilted the challenge of Hooker at the end of the sixth, dropping him with a flurry of shots but still Hooker fired back in a last hurrah at victory. It was temporary though, Ortiz dropping Hooker again in the seventh with a right hand to the body as referee Laurence Cole immediately waved it off at 56 seconds of the round.
“I feel like I’m a problem at 147 [pounds], He was showing me that he was durable, definitely,” Ortiz said. “He could definitely take a punch. He really could. He was smart. He was trying to get around my guard but I knew what to do.”
Photo Courtesy of Goldenboy
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