The WBO junior welterweight champion and native of Dallas, Texas, Maurice Hooker, is in hostile territory. (photos by Mikey Williams).

The hometown kid, Alex Saucedo, is hoping to become only the second Oklahoma City product (following Sean O’Grady, who is also co-promoting this event) to taste world championship glory.

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Saucedo and Hooker faced off at Wednesday’s press conference, a precursor to the in-ring hostilities that will occur Friday evening at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) and Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) sparred many rounds years ago in Dallas, but both acknowledged those sessions would have little bearing on Friday's outcome. They both promised an action fight, a fitting installment for this "border war."

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Hooker-Saucedo will headline a special one-fight telecast on ESPN at midnight ET. In the co-feature, which headlines the ESPN+ stream (6:30 p.m ET), undefeated welterweight puncher Egidijus Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) will fight Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs) in a showdown with potential world title implications.

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