Maurice Hooker Explains the Reason for His Knockout Loss Against Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Maurice Hooker has explained his knockout loss to Vergil Ortiz Jr. after the 22-year-old finished the fight in round seven. The two fought as the main event live on DAZN and gave fans an incredible fight. However, the former champion has revealed what happened in round seven.

Ortiz Jr. dropped Hooker in the sixth round with a powerful combination to the body and face. He then finished the fight in the first ten seconds of the seventh with what looked like a body shot. Hooker has now commented on what really happened.

The 27-2-3 boxer spoke to Chris Mannix at the post-fight interview and said, “I hurt my hand and he punched me at the same time. I mean, look at this replay.” This comment confirmed that Hooker did not attempt to get up after the knockdown because of an injury.

After the first knockout, ‘Mighty Mo’ took his time but got up and continued to fight. However, after the second knockdown, Hooker clenched his hand in pain, which prompted the referee to wave it off. 

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Maurice Hooker lashes out at the crowd

Boxers who do not get up after a knockdown are criticized for being quitters. And, had Hooker not shed light on the knockout, then there may have been a small minority who would have accused him of doing so. Moreover, even during his interview, the American received boos from the crowd.

The 31-year-old was having none of it and said, “And everybody’s who’s booing, f**k y’all. Y’all ain’t got nothing to worry.” He then stormed out of the ring in frustration at the disrespect. This showed he felt the crowd reacted unfairly.

The two fighters put up a fantastic bout and entertained the fans for the seven rounds they fought. Therefore, many will sympathize with Hooker, as the American did not deserve to get booed off the ring after a good fight like that.

He was the first fighter to put Ortiz Jr. in a situation where he had to dig deep and fight his way out of trouble. Therefore, a portion of the boxing fans may feel that Hooker deserved a little more respect for his valiant effort against a hard-hitting Ortiz Jr.

What do you make of these comments from Maurice Hooker? Do you think he was treated unfairly by the fans?

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