Hooker, Saucedo ready to go to war

By Miguel Maravilla

Fightnews.com® caught up with WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) of Dallas and Oklahoma City’s Alex Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) to talk about tonight’s fight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma live on ESPN.

“This is a big fight. It’s more important than the title fight. I had a good camp and I’m ready,” Hooker told Fightnews.com®.“I’m excited. This is the opportunity I’ve been looking for since I was a kid. Now it’s time to take care of business,” Saucedo told us.

The champ Hooker will be making the first defense of his title he won over Terry Flanagan in his last fight via split decision in Flanagan’s backyard. “Going into this fight. I’m going into his hometown. I did that the last time going to England and beating Terry Flanagan.”

“Maurice a good fighter,” Saucedo acknowledged, “he has a good reach. He beat Flanagan in his last fight to win the title but I’m not Terry Flanagan! I have been very motivated this camp and I have trained my ass off. I’m focused so he will see who Alex Saucedo is.”

Saucedo prepared in Big Bear, California, with his trainer Abel Sanchez.

“This was a good camp for Alex. I’m mostly impressed with his mindset this camp. He is so focused. This is a typical fight between the bull vs the matador. Alex is going to be Alex and he is 100 percent ready,” Sanchez told Fightnews.com®.

With the Red River Shootout Classic taking place last month between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns defeated Oklahoma 48-45 in a thriller as the two college football teams squared off for the 113th season. Now Hooker of Texas and Saucedo of Oklahoma will step foot in the ring and renew the Red River Showdown.

“He is a young and hungry. He has that typical Mexican style that likes to come forward and get hit, but he’s hungry,” Hooker said. “This is big for people in Texas and Oklahoma. Anytime you have Texas and Oklahoma competing in anything it’s competitive. I’m going to take Alex Saucedo to school.”

Saucedo concluded by saying, “There has always been a rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas, but a lot of my fans are from Texas. I will leave it all in the ring. This fight will make me or break me. I plan on being the first champion from Oklahoma since Sean O’Grady!”