Regis Prograis beat Maurice Hooker in an amateur match Hooker believes he definitely won.

Hooker hopes he gets an opportunity to avenge that defeat by boxing the former WBA 140-pound champion in what could be the next fight for both boxers. Dallas’ Hooker respects Prograis, yet he is confident he’d out-box the powerful southpaw from New Orleans.

“I would love that fight,” Hooker told BoxingScene.com. “It’s gonna be a good fight. I’m pretty sure I might be the underdog, but I think I’d come in the ring and I would shock him. I’m not saying it’d be a war, because if it’s a war, I’m not fighting my fight. I would out-box him. I’d make the fight easier than what people think it’s gonna be.”

Roc Nation Sports’ Dino Duva, Hooker’s co-promoter, has had preliminary talks with Eddie Hearn, Hooker’s other promoter, about scheduling a Hooker-Prograis fight for some time in April. Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) is promoted by Lou DiBella.

“That’s something we’ve been discussing,” Duva said. “It’s not anywhere near seriousness yet, but it’s something that we’ve discussed. I know Prograis is interested in it. I’ve talked to Eddie Hearn and DAZN about it. It’s not at the point yet where it’s very serious on terms or anything. There’s other things that we’re exploring, too, at the same time.”

Prograis suffered his first professional defeat in his last fight, a closely contested 12-rounder against Josh Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs). Scotland’s Taylor topped Prograis by majority decision and walked away from their World Boxing Super Series 140-pound championship match with his IBF belt and Prograis’ WBA crown October 26 at O2 Arena in London.

“That was a good fight,” Hooker said. “Taylor won, but not by that much. You know, probably by a round or two. It could’ve even been a draw. I just feel like Taylor was the bigger guy. He started using his size close to the end of the fight.”

The 30-year-old Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) bounced back from his first professional loss – a sixth-round, technical-knockout defeat to Jose Ramirez – by stopping Uriel Perez (19-5, 17 KOs) in the first round December 20 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Hooker lost the WBO junior welterweight title to Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) in what had been a very competitive title unification fight July 27 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.