Opening the broadcast on SHOBOX on SHOWTIME Saturday night in Memphis Tennessee, Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (12-0-2, 9 KOs) from Dallas, Texas and Abel Ramos (8-0-1, 4 KOs) from Casa Grande, Arizona started the night off in a very competitive eight round match. The tale of the tape on these boxers coming into this fight was somewhat different. Ramos came into the fight having turned professional two years ago after having a slight advantage in amateur experience, but Hooker was the one with more experience in professional rounds boxed against better opponents. Both fighters were delving into their first eight round match, but Ramos had never been past four rounds. Fighting out of the Maple Avenue Boxing Gym in Dallas, Texas, Hooker had the advantage in this category as he had already fought five six round matches in 2013, and three out of five of those matches never went past the second round. As for locations of fights, Ramos had never fought a professional fight outside of his home state of Arizona, while Hooker had tested fighters from San Diego to New York.
Ramos started slowly forcing the action in the first round but the taller Hooker was snapping his left hand jab in the face of Ramos consistently. Both fighters appeared calm for their first time on national television and Hooker clearly won the first round. As the fighters continued into the second round, Hooker was still connecting well with his jab as he moved around the ring. Toward the end of the round, Ramos was able to land a left hook on Hooker in the middle of the ring, but Hooker countered back with his right hand. Throughout this round, Hooker would occasionally shoot the straight right hand, but Ramos was able to avoid it. At the last forty seconds of the fight, Hooker finally connected with a nice straight right hand that snapped Ramos’ head back. Hooker was clearly in control of the first two rounds and as the round ended, Ramos had a small mouse under his left eye.
Things started to change in the third round and the momentum shifted to Ramos’ corner as he stepped up the pace and began landing his own jab. Early in the round, Ramos was able to force Hooker into the ropes, but Hooker countered well with two right hands to the head of Ramos. Ramos then forced Hooker into the ropes for the second time as he connected with a good body punch. Hooker fought back off the ropes and moved the action toward the middle of the ring and gestured for his opponent to “come on.” Hooker landed a glancing right hand toward the end of the round as the fight started to heat up.
In the fourth round, Hooker went back to what was working very well in the first two rounds as he jabbed away and moved laterally around the ring using his reach advantage. Toward the end of the round, Hooker landed another nice right hand, and followed it up with a short left hook to the head of Ramos. Hooker had a much better round in the fourth, as Ramos’ left eye continued to swell up. At the halfway point, SHOBOX commentators had Hooker ahead three to one going into the fifth round, a distance that Ramos had never been before professionally. Hooker was able to land a quick straight right hand to the head of Ramos early in the round, as Ramos moved forward. Ramos continued to force the action as he backed up Hooker into the ropes, but Hooker countered with another right hand and a quick left hook. Ramos then started to go to the body of Hooker as he forced him to move around the ring. Although Ramos continued to move forward, Hooker outpunched Ramos the entire round.
Hooker started off the sixth round with a quick hard combination as both fighters started to land heavier punches. Ramos continued to push the pace as he constantly moved forward in fight, clearly not bothered by the swelling that continued under his left eye. Toward the latter end of the round, Hooker slipped in a short uppercut as Ramos walked right into it. Hooker then landed a nice right hand, and followed it up with another right hand. Ramos then caught Hooker with a left hook and then landed a big left hook as Hooker was on the ropes. Ramos then followed it up with a glancing right hand as he forced Hooker on the ropes. Ramos continued with his aggression as he attempted to land combinations on Hooker on the ropes, but Hooker was able to slip all the punches and make Ramos miss. At the end of the round, the referee lost control of the fight when he failed to hear the bell ring. Both fighters stopped, but the referee let them continue momentarily until he was given instruction to stop the round.
Before the seventh round, Ramos’ corner were telling him that Hooker was tiring, and Ramos appeared to agree with the expression on his face. At the beginning of the round, Ramos landed a shot to the body of Hooker and followed it up with a left hook as he kept the pressure on. At the halfway point of the round, SHOBOX commentators were indicating that they thought Hooker was beginning to tire, although he was still throwing punches. Ramos was clearly getting his momentum from what his corner had told him as he pressed forward forcing the action. It appeared that he was getting stronger toward the end of the fight as his momentum picked up. Ramos then landed a good body shot and then landed the biggest left hand of the fight and followed it up with another short left hook and it appeared that Hooker was in trouble. At the end of the round, Ramos landed a hard left hand that backed up Hooker. Hooker countered back as the bell sounded, but it was clearly a round for Ramos.
After taking the best of Ramos in the seventh round, Hooker came out swinging at the beginning of the eighth as they both traded punches in the middle of the ring. Ramos continued to put on the pressure as he had done throughout the fight, and didn’t appear to be tiring at all. Ramos then landed a big right hand on Hooker as he forced him into the ropes, a place that Ramos was most successful throughout the fight. Close to the end of the round, Ramos landed another left hand, but Hooker kept on throwing counter punches. With both fighters clearly exhausted, Hooker then landed a nice left hand to the head of Ramos as he was backed up on the ropes. Ramos then landed a left hand and then another right hand, but Hooker kept on punching as the bell sounded to end the round.
For it to be the first time on national television, both fighters made a strong statement that they were potential prospects worthy of being on the national stage. Although SHOBOX commentators had Hooker winning the fight, the referees saw otherwise. In what was an outstanding effort by Hooker, unfortunately he had to settle for a majority draw. NTF looks forward to seeing Dallas’ “Mighty Mo” Hooker in the ring as he moves his way up into contention.
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