By Jeff Zimmerman
Fightnews.com® caught up with Bomac in an exclusive interview as he was in town for the kickoff presser to announce Hooker’s next fight against Regis Prograis at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Friday April 17, live on DAZN. Prograis lost his share of the 140lb title to Josh Taylor in another unification scrap this past October.
How did you and Mo come together to become a team?
Mo contacted us and we just sat down with the team and told him what was expected of him and what was expected of us for him and it’s an easy fit. We worked together with him for a couple of fights when he won his title, defending his title. I know Mo’s style and he knows the way I train.
On the outside looking in, you seem to have a family atmosphere?
It is definitely a family. We all get along, there is no ego trip, and everyone is expected to do their job and it all comes together.
What would you look to do to improve Hooker?
Mo already has the mental part, the mental toughness a fighter needs when he steps in that ring. We need to just sharpen up on some little things, like the way he steps, how to pick up his game, how to slow it down, how to cruise through some rounds, utilize his style against another style, how to recognize another style. That’s it.
How did you view his first fight under you, where he stopped his opponent in the first round?
Basically, what I assessed is how he trained, how he conducted himself in training camp what I liked about it. The fight was nothing. You can see he came out and took his time, used his jab, he used his reach and that is something we had been working on in camp. For me to see that and what we worked on in camp, I was satisfied to see that. We did more work in camp than we did in the fight. It was harder in camp.
What are your thoughts on fighting Regis Prograis?
I respect him for going back into another tough fight. I don’t think the fight is going to go how people expect it to go. The first couple rounds it is going to be tough, but after that, I think we will walk away with it.
Do you see Mo staying at 140 or moving to 147?
He will make 140. We will go fight for a title at 140 and then move up, we will try to utilize what we can at that weight class and then move up. Go get the other guys up there at 47 and then move up to 54.
How much influence has “Bud” Crawford had on Mo?
He’s had a tremendous amount of influence since we first met Mo. We fought down here in Texas and Mo sparred Bud and ever since then they have been friends. They trained together for title fights and walking him into the ring, being in his corner and just helping him out mentally and emotionally and sparring him too.
Is Errol Spence Jr. still the biggest fight out there for you?
Yea, I guess so. He can get him a tune-up fight and prove to everybody that he is alright, that is still a fight for us.
Will it happen this year?
Not this year, but probably next year sometime.