By Jeff Zimmerman

WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker (26-0-3, 17 KOs) strolled into his home gym, Maple Ave Boxing Gym in Dallas, for his Media Day Workout on Tuesday like a big kid at Disneyland and had the time of his life engaging with fans, media and anyone that wanted a piece of him. It hasn’t always been this way for Hooker, who has literally come from the bottom of the boxing barrel to his perch as one of the 140lb titleholders and he is enjoying every minute of it and rightfully so.

It wasn’t that long ago that he didn’t even have a promoter, but come Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas just up the road from where the Dallas Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium, Hooker could unify the division against the more heralded, former Olympian and WBC champ Jose Ramirez (24-0, 16 KOs) in a big showdown that has fight of the year written all over it.

Hooker’s rise to champion is an amazing story and it was the belief of one man, Arnie Verbeek, owner of Maple Ave Boxing Gym, who made this dream come through. Verbeek saw something in Hooker that virtually no one else did. The slender Hooker, who resembles a young Hitman Hearns, grew up in the rough and tumble streets of Dallas and possibly spent more time in trouble than not. But after leading a life of mischief into his teen years, boxing became an outlet that potentially saved his life. He was a good kid like so many, that just needed some direction.

Verbeek told Fightnews.com besides Hooker, there were countless others he tried to help along the way. “There were ten other fighters like Mo that had talent, but you have never heard of. The difference is Mo listened.”

Verbeek purposely built his gym just outside the heart of downtown Dallas and became a popular landing spot for out of town fighters to train and one of them was another under the radar fighter early on in Terence Crawford, who has since become one of the sport’s pound for pound best and the current WBO welterweight champ. Crawford and Hooker became fast friends and have shared multiple fight camps together and has no doubt made Hooker a better fighter. It also didn’t hurt to grow up in the Dallas boxing scene and mix it up with another one of boxing’s best in current IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

Hooker quickly became a local fan favorite at bars, clubs and ballrooms in and around Dallas with his signature lollipop as he entered the ring and the big pop in his right hand and his wide grin. Hooker, however, didn’t have a promoter or a big team around him to help take him to the next level. Verbeek was essentially a one-man band and did his best to get his fighter exposure and work in gyms all over the country.

Verbeek then made a bold move and took a flier on a relatively unknown trainer out of a San Diego, Vincent Parra, after only nine pro fights.

“Vince and I have been together since my 9th fight,” said Hooker. “We slept in hotels together. We have done everything together. I put my life and trust in his hands.”

Parra owes it all to Verbeek for pulling all the right strings and is grateful for bringing him on board.

“Arne Verbeek has been with Mo every step of the way. He hired me after nine fights. There was a time no one believed in me as a trainer and no one believed in Mo as a fighter and there was only one person that believed in both of us and that is Arnie Verbeek.

“And Arnie pushed us to a different level and keeps challenging us. It could be a movie. There has always been a little bit of drama here in camp. We argue amongst each other, but we’re like family. At the end of the day we all want the same thing. We always wanted to win and to get the belts and keep moving up.”

Hooker is now signed with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing as Hearn looks to make a big splash in the states and hopes Hooker could be a big part of the plan, although he knows based on his past, he has his work cut out as he told Fightnews.com at the opening presser kicking off this event.

“He has to work harder, because he hasn’t had the build,” Hearn stated. “He hasn’t had the stardom, the big promotion push from the debut, so it’s harder for him, so he has to do more outrageous things. That’s why unifying here against someone like Jose Ramirez will put him on his way.

“It is quite unusual that someone has worked from the small, local shows up. He’s one of those guys that really has got to be motivated to perform at his highest level.”

For Hooker, the unusual is now the norm and although he is a world champion, he has still not captivated boxing fans like Crawford and Spence, but he is not concerned with any of that. The fact this is a 50/50 fight in many people’s eyes against someone of the talent of Ramirez, shows just how far Hooker has come.

“I’m used to being the underdog so 50/50 is even better. I don’t really care how people look at it. In my eyes, it’s just a good fight. I know he’s tough and he comes to fight so I’m not overlooking this guy. It will be a good fight.”

Hooker is excited that Ramirez is a come forward fighter that likes to go toe to toe.

“I love it, I love it. I don’t have to look for him. He is going to be right there for the right hand and the left hook. Right there for him, it’s going to be easy to find him.”

Hooker knows he must fight smart to beat Ramirez and if not, it could have similarities to his battle with Saucedo, where he got off the canvas to get the 7th round knockout in a barnburner.

“It might be Saucedo fight all over again, but he’s smarter than Alex Saucedo and he was an Olympian, but I will win. It can be one of those fights if I’m not disciplined. If I am using my jab and be smart round by round, it won’t be.”

Parra has seen the growth of Hooker and believes he was born for this stage.

“There are two different type of fighters. There are manufactured fighters and there are made fighters. Maurice is a born fighter. The difference between him and Jose is Jose has the pedigree, the amateur pedigree, he was taught a certain way. He’s had 3 or 4 different trainers. Maurice has had one or two.

“He has been with me for 6 years, 21 fights, so we have been able to lock in and we know each other very, very well. Maurice was a street fighter that got molded into a master boxer, two different animals. It is going to be a great fight, it is 50/50 and it should be as they are both young, in their prime. They’re willing to put their 0’s up and at the end of the day, I personally think my guy has a little too much.”

Hooker is certainly enjoying the fruits of his labor. He has scratched and clawed his way to top and now with a win Saturday night, he will make the biggest statement of his career. And he can take his family to Disneyland or anywhere else in the world for that matter as he has not only seen growth in the ring, but in his bank account.

“The checks are different,” Hooker stated emphatically.

“I was probably getting $500 for a fight, but my check would say $1. My manager was paying for the fight. Now I’m getting paid. It’s a blessing. The fans get to watch my fights. Everybody gets to know my name. I’m a world champion. I started off from the bottom now I’m here. It’s a blessing, it’s a dream.”