By Matt Lieberman: Vergil Ortiz Jr. (17-0, 17 KOs) had to dig deep to score a seventh-round knockout over ring-rusty Maurice ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs) on Saturday night to win the vacant WBO International welterweight title in a Fight of The Year’ candidate at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
#2 WBO Vergil Ortiz Jr twice knocked Hooker down, once in round six and a final time in the seventh.
The official time of the stoppage was at 36 of round seven. Hooker took a lot of big headshots, but he looked like he was more bothered by Ortiz’s bodywork.
Hooker injured his right elbow in the seventh round, which caused him to take a knee and the fight promptly stopped. However, things were already looking bleak for Hooker well before that unfortunate injury.
It’s said that Hooker suffered a dislocated right elbow, but that needs to be confirmed by a doctor. The fight was even going into the fifth round, and that’s when Ortiz Jr caught Hooker with a right to the body that hurt him, causing him to quickly retreat and cover-up.
Instead of grabbing Ortiz and holding onto him to prevent him from getting his shots off, Hooker went into a shell and took enormous punishment to the head and body.
Hooker was hurt with a powerful body shot from Vergil late in the fifth round that caused him to cover up and take nonstop punishment. After the end of the round
Ortiz took a lot of punishment around the face, and he was badly marked up at the end.
“He’s good, but he’s not ready, to be honest,” said Hooker saying that Ortiz isn’t ready for Crawford. “I hurt my hand. For everyone that’s booing, f*** y’all,” said Hooker.
It’s interesting that Hooker is saying that Ortiz Jr isn’t ready for Terence Crawford, but he may be right. Ortiz Jr was getting hit too much in the fight, and there were periods where it didn’t look great.
“He can definitely take a punch. I knew what to do. I knew he was going to want to go inside. but I neutralized.
“The headshots weren’t hurting him at all. I knew he could take a punch. That’s when I started investing in the body. I’m ready for a title shot. I’m not going to call anyone a bum. I would love that opportunity. Crawford is pound for pound. If I’m given the opportunity. I’m looking at you, Bud,” said Ortiz