WBO World Champion ‘Mighty Mo’ predicts late stoppage win over WBC king

Maurice Hooker believes he will claim a late round stoppage win over Jose Ramirez when they clash for the WBO and WBC World Super-Lightweight titles on Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

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Hooker (26-0-3 17 KOs) puts his WBO crown on the line for the third time in his first fight in his hometown as a World ruler after trips to Oklahoma and New York, and ‘Mighty Mo’ couldn’t have picked a bigger and more anticipated match-up to return to the spotlight in the Lone Star state.

Ramirez (24-0 16 KOs) puts his green and gold belt up for grabs for the third time since landing the vacant strap in March 2018 in New York, and in a reversal of Hooker’s route to this colossal clash, is back on the road after two home defenses in Fresno, California.

The respectful build-up continued at today’s press conference in downtown Dallas but both men were confident of walking out of the ring with a belt over each shoulder, and Hooker thinks their styles will lead to a late stoppage win.

“People are saying it’s going to be a tough fight and I hope it is,” said Hooker. “He’s going to come at me aggressive in the opening rounds with those big left hooks, but I’ll stay calm and relaxed because to me, in a championship fight, the fight really begins in the fourth or fifth round.

“I’ll use my jab in the opening rounds and compose myself and let him punch himself out and expose himself. As the fight goes on I will take it to him, push him back and I think I will come out of there with the late KO as he’s not a fighter that fights on the back foot, everyone he’s fought he’s come to them or they have been a smaller guy. I’m tall, rangy and I have power, so I will make him adjust to me and I will hurt him.

“He’s got a good left hand, to the head and the body, and I know that he’s coming to fight with pressure and he’ll be in my face the whole night, or at least try to be, and I’ve got to try to keep him off. But I’m ready, I’ll make him adjust to me and I’ll have fun in the later rounds.”

Hooker and Ramirez clash on a bumper night of action in Arlington, as Tevin Farmer defends his IBF World Super-Featherweight title against mandatory challenger Guillaume Frenois. Tramaine Williams takes on Yenifel Vicente for the vacant WBO NABO Jr. Featherweight title.

Photo by ED MULLHOLLAND

Photo by Scott Heavey, Gettyimages –

by Lem Satterfield –

WBO President Paco Valcarcel has declared unbeaten featherweight Gary Russell Jr. to be the organization’s mandatory challenger to Mexican Orlando Salido, giving Salido the next 180 days within which to defend against Russell after having won the vacant belt by seventh-round knockout over Orlando Cruz on Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The ruling would not preclude a planned voluntary defense for Salido (40-12-2, 28 knockouts) against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko for Jan. 25 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a possibility mentioned by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum after Lomachenko’s fourth-round stoppage of Mexican rival Jose Luis Ramirez (25-4, 15 KOs) on Saturday.

Like Salido-Cruz, Lomachenko-Ramirez happened on the undercard of Tim Bradley’s split-decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez. A 25-year-old amateur star, Lomachenko (1-0, 1 KO) was a winner of his second Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Games in London. [Editor’s note: Lomachenko took part in six World Series of Boxing semi-pro bouts that were scheduled for five rounds before officially turning pro.]

“If Salido wants to fight Lomachenko in January, then he could do it,” said Valcarcel. “Because we’re talking (about) Salido having (to) face Russell before April. In the interim, he can fight a voluntary. The mandatory would not be due until around April 12.”

A 25-year-old 2004 U.S. Olympian who is coming off a unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in August,  Russell (23-0, 13 KOs) said he received the news of the WBO’s mandate last Wednesday.

“On Oct. 9, my team received written confirmation from the WBO that I am the mandatory challenger for their featherweight world title,” said Russell, in a prepared release. “I’m ready for my first world title fight and can not wait for the fight to get made.”

The prospect of making Salido-Russell or Russell-Lomachenko could be complicated since Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer are feuding and are aligned with rival networks, HBO and Showtime, respectively.

In addition, Russell has been promoted by Golden Boy through advisor Al Haymon, with whom Arum also has had an adversarial relationship.

Arum doesn’t believe there will be any trouble in making a fight with Russell.

“If those are the rules, then those are the rules. If the winner of Salido-Lomachenko has to fight Russell, then they’ll fight Russell. That’s no big deal,” said Arum. “If we can’t reach an agreement, then we’ll go to purse bid. That’s what it’s designed for. Golden Boy and ourselves have done a number of fights that way, after either we or they won on purse bid.”

Schaefer said the same.

“If it can’t get done, then it will have to go to purse bid,” said Schaefer. “I think that’s fantastic and I think that Gary is definitely up to the challenge.”

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/181355-russell-jr-may-be-next-if-salido-fights-lomachenko

Las Vegas,NV  —  Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico, Orlando Salido of Mexico, Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko, and Jose Luis Ramirez of Mexico to part in open workouts as they prepare for their upcoming fights. Salido-Cruz and Lomachenko-Ramirez takes place on the undercard of the Timothy Bradley-Juan Manuel Marquez card, Saturday, Oct 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas,Nevada. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas, Márquez Boxing, and Tecate, Bradley vs. Márquez  will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®. Photos by Mary Ann Owen/Top Rank.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=70363

Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Vasyl “The Great” Lomachenko arrived at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) Saturday afternoon where he was greeted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. Lomachenko will make his featherweight pro debut against #7 rated Jose Luis Ramirez of México and will be showcased on the undercard of the October 12, WBO welterweight championship between undefeated defending champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, Jr. and four-division world champion and Méxican icon Juan Manuel Marquez at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Lomachenko plans to fight for the world featherweight championship in his second pro fight.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/lomachenko-hits-la-ready-to-take-over-featherweight-division-226988