Hooker keeps belt

Maurice Hooker knows how to perform when the crowd is against him.

Just ask Alex Saucedo. Hooker spoiled Saucedo’s homecoming by knocking him out in the seventh round Friday night, defending his WBO junior welterweight title.

In front of a crowd of 4,102 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Hooker (25-0-3, 17 KOs) dominated much of the action on his way to the technical knockout.

Hooker, a Dallas native, was defending his title for the first time. He won the vacant belt against Terry Flanagan in a split-decision June 9 in Flanagan’s hometown of Manchester, England, so he had experience dealing with a hostile environment.

He said he tuned out the noise in Oklahoma City.

“I had faith in myself,’” Hooker said. “I believe in myself. And I said once I get in the ring, it’s just me and him one-on-one, and not the crowd.”

Hooker used his reach to keep Saucedo at bay in the first round, though the crowd was loud and chanted “O-K-C!” several times.

Saucedo (28-1) put Hooker on the canvas with a right early in the second round, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Hooker said he made a mistake.

“The second round, he caught me with a shot,” he said. “Not bad. I put my hands down. He caught me. A little bit out of balance.”

Hooker’s nose was bloodied, but Saucedo couldn’t finish him.

Saucedo had Hooker on the ropes for most of the fifth round, but Hooker showed he had some energy left with a flurry in the closing seconds of the round.