Maurice Hooker facing layoff with broken hand, could face Alexis Rocha in return

Maurice Hooker took some serious damage in last Saturday’s war with Vergil Ortiz Jr., and it looks like he’ll be feeling the effects for a while. Trainer Brian McIntyre tells Dan Rafael that “Mighty Mo” did, in fact, suffer a broken hand in the seventh round that will result in “at least 4 weeks” in a cast and “[n]o hitting for 2 months.”

Honestly, I support him flipping everyone off.

Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KO) gave a damn good account of himself against one of the scariest prospects in the sport, getting up from some nasty body shots before the aforementioned hand injury sent him to a knee for the full count.

Despite this setback, he might already have an opponent for his return, as Chris Mannix reports that Golden Boy, with whom Hooker signed a two-fight deal, “is eyeing a matchup between Hooker and once-beaten prospect Alexis Rocha.” The 23-year-old Rocha lost an entertaining clash with fellow up-and-comer Rashidi Ellis last October, and a fight with Hooker would show an admirable willingness to get right back in the mix after his first career defeat.