Undefeated welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr 17-0 (17) has called for a fight with WBO 147-pound champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 37-0 (28) after defeating his stablemate and former world champion Maurice ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker 27-2-3 (19) by seventh-round knockout at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday night.
The 22-year-old power puncher from Grand Prairie, Texas had to work hard to get the win against the experienced Hooker, whose only previous loss was to unified junior welterweight champion Jose Carlos Ramirez in Arlington in July 2019.
Ortiz broke open the fight in round six when he dropped Hooker with a vicious flurry. Hooker beat the count but in the following round hurt his hand when he landed a blow on Ortiz’s hip. Referee Laurence Cole stopped the contest at the 0:36 mark.
“He hurt his hand, but I was going to take him out anyways,” Ortiz said. “I wasn’t surprised that he got up after the first knockdown.
“But at the same time, I saw it in his face that he didn’t want to get up.”
Hooker, who has only boxed one round since his lone previous loss to Ramirez, said he would like a rematch.
“I was out for a year-and-a-half,” said Hooker, who knocked out Uriel Perez in his last outing in December 2019.
“If they let me get back and get fresh, hit me up.
“All hats off to him. I got no hard feelings. Nothing but love, I’ll see him again.”
Ortiz claimed the WBO International title at 147-pounds with the win, which should bolster his claims to a shot a Crawford. The Puerto Rican sanctioning body already rates him their number two contender.
“I’m the real deal. I’m the best, and I want to fight the best,” Ortiz said.
“I don’t think I’d be able to take him out,” he continued. “If we do end up fighting, it would probably go the distance in a very competitive fight.
“Let’s make the fight happen. I’m more than ready. There’s no one really willing to fight you. I’m right here.”
Southpaw Crawford, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, seemed less than keen on the matchup.
“Y’all know (I’d beat Ortiz),” Crawford said to The Ring. “He really don’t want me. He’s doing his thing and I wish him nothing but the best.”
On the undercard Seniesa ‘Super Bad’ Estrada 20-0 (8) lifted the WBA minimumweight title from Anabel ‘Avispa’ Ortiz 31-4 (4) with a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision by scores of 99-90 and 100-89 twice.
The 34-year-old Ortiz of Mexico City was making the 13th defence of the title she won against Estuko Tada in Tokyo, Japan in 2013. Despite her big fight experience, she was down in the first round and was never in the fight.
In an all-out welterweight slugfest, Marcelino Lopez 37-2-1 (22) decked Jairo Lopez 27-12 (18) four times en route to a fifth-round knockout victory in their 10-round bout.
Junior welterweight Alex Martin 16-3 (6) earned a lopsided 10-round unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Luis Hernandez 21-1 (19) by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.
The stylish southpaw was coming off a win over Angel Fierro, who sprung the upset over Alberto Machado in Puerto Rico on Thursday night.
“I really wasn’t surprised that the judges had me winning a one-sided decision,” Martin told The Ring. “Hernandez throws some really stupid shots and we were working on countering that all camp.
“His record didn’t mean nothing. I have an iron chin. This is do or die. This (performance) was for the belt.”
Undefeated cruiserweight Tristan Kalkreuth 8-0 (6) knocked out Dustin Long 4-2-2 (4) in the first round of their scheduled six-rounder.
