Top Rank wins bid for Hooker-Saucedo
Saucedo’s promoter has the rights to the mandatory title fight.
The WBO announced today that Top Rank has won the rights to the mandatory junior welterweight title fight between titleholder Maurice Hooker and mandatory challenger Alex Saucedo, a Top Rank fighter, with a winning bid of $1.625 million, beating out Matchroom Boxing, who co-promote Hooker with Roc Nation.
The split is 75-25 for Hooker, meaning if it goes through he’ll be paid over $1.2 million, with just over $400,000 for Saucedo.
Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KO), a 29-year-old from Dallas, won the title vacated by Terence Crawford in a victory over former lightweight titlist Terry Flanagan on June 9 in Manchester, England.
Saucedo (28-0, 18 KO) is coming off of an exciting and buzz-getting slugfest win over Lenny Zappavigna on June 30, which aired on a Top Rank ESPN card. Saucedo, 24, would be getting his first world title shot if the fight goes through.
Since Top Rank has the rights, we’ll see this fight on either ESPN or ESPN+ in November. Matchroom was hoping to put it on one of its upcoming DAZN cards.