Jose Ramirez Given Slight Edge Over Maurice Hooker in Battle of Super Lightweight Champions

Posted on: July 27, 2019, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: July 26, 2019, 07:39h.

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Jose Carlos Ramirez is being given the slightest of advantages against Maurice Hooker in their super lightweight title unification bout Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Maurice Hooker Jose Ramirez
Undefeated champions Maurice Hooker (left) and Jose Ramirez (right) will meet in a super lightweight bout in Texas on Saturday. (Image: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA)

Ramirez is a -139 favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with Hooker fetching +105 odds in the battle between the two undefeated champions.

Ramirez, Hooker Part of Four-Way Unification Struggle

Saturday’s bout features two of the four undefeated champions at the top of boxing’s super lightweight division. Ramirez (24-0, 16 KOs) holds the WBC title, while Hooker (26-0-3, 17 KOs) is the WBO champion. The two other champions – Josh Taylor (15-0, 12 KOs) and Regis Prograis (24-0, 20 KOs) – hold the IBF and WBA titles, respectively, and are set to have their own unification fight in October.

That means that Saturday’s clash could well serve as the first semifinal in what proves to be a complete unification of the super lightweight titles. If that weren’t enough to give the fight the feel of a major event, there’s also the fact that Hooker is fighting in his home town, which should mean that an electric crowd is on hand to see if a local hero can get one step closer to becoming an undisputed champion.

It’s been crazy at home since the fight was announced. Everybody has been telling me that they are coming and telling me to put on a show,” Hooker said, via Bad Left Hook. “Dallas seeing me fight as a world champion is so big for me and for the city, all the kids I’ve spoken to in the schools, the people that look up to me, can now watch me live.”

Hooker has proven to be a difficult matchup for just about everyone in the 140-pound division. In his most difficult fight so far, he came back from an early knockdown against the previously undefeated Alex Saucedo, using his height and wingspan to fight effectively from the outside and eventually secure a win by TKO in the seventh round.

A Clash of Styles

On the other hand, Ramirez will look to get inside against the taller Hooker in the hopes of negating that reach advantage, setting up an intriguing contrast of styles. According to Ramirez, who hails from California, he’s not worried about stepping into Hooker’s back yard for the biggest fight of his career so far.

“Maurice wanted the fight in his hometown so it was up to me to accept those terms and I did,” Ramirez said, according to BoxingScene.com. “Sometimes the fights on the road are easier because I don’t have the same responsibilities when I am fighting in Fresno as I am co-promoting the fights with Top Rank and I have to do a lot of appearances, but now I am the guest so I am here to do my job.”

While Ramirez may be the slim betting favorite, most boxing experts have described this encounter as a 50/50 fight, as it is unclear which fighter will have the easier time imposing his style on the other. While Hooker has the handful of blemishes on his resume thanks to the three draws, he’s also fought somewhat tougher competition than Ramirez.

Whichever fighter comes out on top could face an even tougher test in the future. While Ramirez and Hooker are highly regarded, Both ESPN and BoxRec rate Taylor and Prograis as the top two boxers in the weight class, and either would be favored over the winner of Saturday’s fight in a potential unification bout.