Hooker-Flanagan looking to steal big boxing weekend

Fightnews.com

By Robert Hughes

Unbeaten super lightweights Terry Flanagan (33-0, 13 KOs) and Maurice Hooker (23-0-3, 16 KOs) will fight for the vacant World Boxing Organization championship on Saturday at Manchester Arena in a highly-anticipated bout on the card that features Tyson Fury’s return to the ring against Sefer Seferi. Flanagan vs. Hooker could be one of the best nights of boxing in 2018 with 17 events scheduled around the world.

Names like Mares, Santa Cruz, Charlo, Crawford, Horn and Trout are battling on the same date – by Sunday morning fans might remember Flanagan vs Hooker as the best fight.

Hooker and Flanagan are fighting for one of the super-lightweight belts Terence Crawford mic-dropped on his way to bigger things. Flanagan is on a similar path, leaving behind his lightweight title in a long-anticipated move up to 140 pounds.

Mo Hooker seemingly has been on the cusp of this championship for several years, fighting at 140-pounds since his pro debut in April 2011. He’s been on a rocky climb up the division rankings for the past three years. Hooker was the WBO’s super-lightweight North American champ for more than two years until leaving it behind in November 2017 when his friend and former training partner Alex Saucedo knocked out Gustavo David Vittori.

Hooker is a WBO-mandated challenger for this title and team manager Arnie Verbeek said they’ve been ready since September. But when Flanagan, an undefeated champion southpaw, emerged as the opponent it took a little time and effort to make happen this smart matchup of size, age and career progression. The fighters were on different highways and have come to a crossroad on the urban banks of the River Irwell. The loser will have to rethink, recalculate his career – the winner will be driving the 140-pound bus.

“We were waiting on the Flanagan team but I stayed in training, I stayed ready for whatever comes my way,” Hooker said. “I’m happy the deal got done and I’m ready to take my championship.”

During that extra time Hooker has moved around, training in different venues. From his home at Maple Avenue Boxing Gym in Dallas to running in the hills of suburban San Diego where trainer Vincent Parra lives [and workouts at Wild Card Boxing in Los Angeles], to sparring against ‘Bud’ Crawford and Shakur Stevenson at the Triple Threat Gym in Colorado Springs, then across the Atlantic to Manchester Arena, Maurice ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker has traveled 7,188 miles to make this fight.

A sparring match with Crawford about a year ago started Hooker’s adventure to Colorado and the Triple Threat Gym. Terence mentored him and now Hooker has established his own camp there and is training at altitude in a competitive, championship environment.

“He’s in the slipstream up there,” Verbeek said. “Both teams help each other.”

On Hooker’s first trip to Europe the UK boxing fans surely won’t be rolling out the red carpet. Many don’t anticipate happening to Flanagan what happened to Kell Brook when Hooker’s close friend Errol Spence, Jr. went to the UK. Hooker watched every moment that fight and celebrated Spence’s win.

“I don’t care about going over there, I don’t care about his fans, I don’t care about none of that stuff,” Hooker said. “Soon as we get in the ring it’s just me and him.”

From Frank Warren to trainer Steve Maylett to Flanagan and the online chatter, not many are giving Hooker a chance to win against an undefeated champ in a hostile house. Most are mapping Flanagan’s next adventure with his new, heavier belt.

But ‘Mo’ is a tall right-hander who can take a shot [see Hooker vs Ghislain Maduma]. Flanagan isn’t just showing up at the hometown arena to pick up his belt. It’s going through the heart of Texas.

“We’ve changed some things, we’ve watched quite a bit of tape of him, we see some things we plan on taking advantage of,” Parra said, while suggesting Flanagan dodged Crawford when Crawford was the WBO lightweight champ.

“[Flanagan] is the product of a great promoter, they’re looking for another Ricky Hatton,” Parra continued. “You move up when you want to be the best … he has a great record but we’re not impressed with his resume’ and I believe we’re the better boxer, the better puncher – we come from a higher level of boxing.”

Hooker has been a little more vocal than previous lead-ups to his fights letting the boxing world know he’s here.

“I hope you’re ready for a good fight I hope [Flanagan] has a good mouthpiece and a good chin, it’s gonna be a long night for him.”

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