Jose Ramirez and Maurice Hooker tangle in Arlington - WBC/WBO unification July 27

On July 27, Maurice Hooker and Jose Ramirez will each put their 140-pound belts on the line in a junior welterweight unification bout at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Hooker, (26-0-3, 17 KO’s), who won the WBO super light weight title in June of 2018 by going over to England and taking the title of off then-undefeated champion Terry Flanigan, has made 2 title defences. Hooker stopped Alex Saucedo last November and then won a wide UD over Mikkel LesPierre on March 9.

WBC champion Jose Ramirez, a one-man franchise in California’s Central Valley, is heading to Texas with his WBC title and hopes to leave the Lone Star State with 2 titles in his luggage. Ramirez, (24-0, 16 KO’s) beat Amir Imam to win the title in March of 2018. He, like hooker, has also made two success defenses, beating Antonio Orozco last September and then besting Jose Zepeda by majority decision in February.

This will be the 5th straight undefeated fighter that Hooker has faced and like the other 5, he isn’t concerned about his opponent, only about putting on a great show and letting everyone know who is the best 140-pounder in boxing.

In pre-fight interviews Hooker made it clear that while he respects Ramirez, he is looking to show he is indeed the better man. And, he is looking forward to doing it at home.

“It will be a thrill to do this in front of my home crowd and I’m looking forward to the energy they’ll bring to the ring,” he said. “I am a dream killer, and Ramirez will be my next victim coming July 27. I want to show the world that I’m the best in the 140-pound division,” Hooker said. “My dream is to become the undisputed champion in my weight class. This unification fight with Jose Ramirez is a major step towards that goal”, he said.

Ramirez, a popular over-achiever who has built up a huge following at home in Avanel, California, is excited to face Hooker and isn’t concerned about facing a fighter who will have the home court advantage. In pre-fight interviews, Ramirez was quite confident that Hooker’s WBO 140-pound title would be coming back home to California with him.

“I am ready for my opportunity to unify the titles,” said Ramirez. “This is a fight I wanted. I told my manager, Rick Mirigian, that I wanted to fight Maurice Hooker. I know this fight can take my career to the next level. I want to continue making statements at 140 pounds. I want to make it easier for people to decide who the best 140-pounder truly is.”

Ramriez, who attracts a rabid following when he fights at home, knows how much a home game can pump up a fighter but he isn’t concerned about fighting in Texas against Dallas native Hooker.

“I’m treating this fight the same as when I won the title in New York City against Amir Imam. He was the taller fighter, the bigger fighter. It’s sometimes easier fighting someone in his backyard because it takes away some of my responsibilities behind the scenes,” he said. “As the underdog, I have everything to win. It’s not just about defending my title but unifying the division as well. I’m ready to prove myself and show everyone what Jose Ramirez is all about. I can’t wait to bring Hooker’s title back with me to California”, he said.