By Rick Reeno & Keith Idec
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas - In an NABO junior welterweight title fight, Maurice Hooker (21-0-3, 16KOs) and former WBA 135-pound champion Darleys Perez (33-2-2, 21KOs) fought to a ten round split draw. The scores were 97-93 for Perez, 97-93 for Hooker and 95-95.
Hooker was sticking and moving when he came out in the first, utilizing his advantages in height and reach. Perez got more active in the second, landing a few well-time punches to the head and body.
The fight was evening up in the next three rounds, but neither fighter was able to get off with anything of note or land more than one punch at a time.
Hooker went back to the jab and staying at a distance in the sixth. Neither fighter was letting their hands go and playing it safe for the most part. The fight wasn't pretty to watch, as the lack of action continued in the seventh.
Perez got a little more aggressive in the eight and ninth, but there still wasn't much being done by either fighter. They were both being cautious and picking their spots. Perez was committing more to his punches, while Hooker was missing the mark often with his big swings.
The tenth and final round saw Perez doing the bulk of the work and landing the more telling punches, with Hooker just shooting a very lazy jab and missing his big punch attempts.
