Maurice Hooker: Vergil Ortiz Jr is overlooking me - 'Dude, you've got a fight'

Speaking to the Ak & Barak Show on DAZN, Hooker said he was happy to be fighting at 147lbs after previously fighting at lower weights and struggling, saying that at times, “I didn’t sit down because I didn’t want to get up,” given the strain of cutting.

Hooker trains with some of the best boxers at similar weights, including Jermell Charlo and Terence Crawford, which he believes helps spur him on improving.

"Everybody has been helping me push: Jermell, Crawford, all the coaches, they're always watching to make us work harder," Hooker said. "We're always in competition with each other. Who's going to finish first?"

Hooker betrayed no fear when talking about the prospect of fighting Ortiz, saying: "I said yes, they called me and told me. Let's do it. 

"I'm excited about this fight, my first fight at 147, big-name, up and coming."

However, Hooker wants to put Ortiz under examination after doubting some of his previous fights' quality.

"It's a good promoter, it's a good matchmaker to bring him up," he began. "But can he crack? I'm going to find out this week. He never seems to get hit. There's a lot about him I want to find out. We've never seen him take a shot. He's never fought anybody with power."

He believes he is the favourite going into the fight but can't afford to slack in the ring despite his advantages.

"My reach, my height, I'm bigger," he said. "I have all of the advantages, but it don't mean nothing if I don't use it. I've got to go in there and be smart, be me, and have fun with it."

The 31-year-old Texan believes that his younger rival, 11 years his junior, fails to keep his focus.

"He's overlooking me: dude, you've got a fight coming up," Hooker said.