Maurice Hooker plans to represent his hometown in every imaginable way this weekend.
The former WBO junior welterweight titlist is set for his crossroads battle with Blair Cobbs this Saturday at Dickies Arena in nearby Fort Worth, Texas. Hooker arrived at Wednesday’s workout in Irving sporting an R&R Boxing Club t-shirt from his Dallas hometown and a headband reading ‘Ms. Stacey’ in honor of famed local photographer Stacey Snyder Verbeek who passed away in late July.
“My fans can expect a good fight. I’m coming for it all, and I am putting it all out for Ms. Stacey,” Hooker stated. “I’m confident, and I’m ready to do my job.”
Hooker (27-2-3, 18KOs) returns to the same venue of his last fight, though not with an ideal ending. He was competitive and valiant in defeat, a seventh-round stoppage of local friendly rival Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18KOs) last March. Ortiz returns the site in the DAZN headliner against fellow unbeaten welterweight Michael McKinson (22-0, 2KOs), while Hooker looks to punch his way back into contention.
The opportunity comes against another fighter coming off a loss. Cobbs (15-1-1, 10KOs) suffered a ninth-round stoppage at the hands of Alexis Rocha this past March 19 in Los Angeles, his first defeat. The outspoken southpaw is still on the fringe contender level, while Hooker—who turns 33 on Sunday—is fighting for his career as he has lost two of his last three fights after having previously held the WBO 140-pound title for 13 months.
“I’m going to do the same thing that you saw last fight: I’m coming to fight and I’m not cowering down to anybody,” insisted Hooker. “Since my last fight, I’ve stayed in camp, stayed training so that I could be ready for anything to come my way. I expect a big crowd and everyone to be there for me.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox