Former WBO Jr welterweight Champion "Mighty Mo" Maurice Hooker of Dallas will get an early 33rd birthday present. The day before turning 33. he will step back into the ring for the first time in nearly a year and a half. Hooker will battle with loud-mouth, attention-seeking welterweight Blair the flair Cobbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the August 6th undercard of Vergil Ortiz- Michael Mckinson at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
The Dallas native has not fought since being stopped by Grand Prairie native Vergil Ortiz in seven rounds in what was an exciting all-DFW showdown. It was also held at Dickies Arena. Hooker held the WBO world title at 140-pounds when he outpointed "Turbo" Terry Flanagan in June of 2018. Hooker traveled to the UK to defeat the countrymen and former lightweight world champ for the vacant belt. He then defended it successfully twice. Once against Oklahoma native Alex Saucedo, in a boxing rendition of the "Red River Shootout," the Texan got up off the mat and reigned victorious via seventh-round TKO. He then defended his belt in early 2019 against "Slick Mick" Mikkel LesPierre, via unanimous decision at the Turning Stone Casino in upstate NY. He suffered his first career loss when he was stopped by Juan Carlos Ramirez in a unification bout at the College Park Center on the Grounds of UT Arlington. He picked up a tune-up win in a scrap with Uriel Perz. Hooker then suffered his second career loss. This one to Vergil Ortiz in 2021. "Mighty Mo" sports a career record of 27-2-3 (18)
Cobbs will also look to bounce back from his first career loss. After winning his first 15 of 16 professional bouts, with one draw, Cobbs ran into fellow Golden Boy welterweight prospect Alexis Rocha. In what was a barn burner on the grounds of the USC campus in Los Angeles, California, Rocha prevailed via 9th round KO. The Hooker-Cobbs fight is a must-win for both combatants. Hooker needs to get back in the win column and re-establish himself as a world title contender. Cobbs is coming off the loss and needs a win over a big name and former world champ to establish himself as a legitimate contender and not just a loud-mouthed prospect. Hooker would meet both criteria, and Cobbs sports a record of 15-1-1 (10).