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Damien Hooper has promised to repay Ricky Hatton’s faith in him with a stunning performance against Marlon Alta on a special Australia v Philippines promotion in Eaton’s Hill, Queensland, this Sunday, May 3.
The 2012 Olympian suffered a shock knockout defeat to Rob Powdrill last November, but Hatton has stuck by him and still believes he can go on to be another world champion from ‘Down Under’.
Sunday’s bill, which is promoted by Angelo Di Carlo, is an unusual one in the respect that it is being held in the morning so that fight fans can then watch the mammoth Mayweather v Pacquiao clash live on big screens.
But Hooper is not one for lying in and is keen to wake up fight fans with an explosive display.
“Firstly and most importantly I want to thank Ricky for standing by me. I’m determined to repay that trust that he has in me and that begins Sunday morning,” Hooper, 23, said.
“Fighting in the morning will be different but I’ve done it in the amateurs and it’s going to be a huge crowd, right before Mayweather and Pacquiao. I’m not even thinking about the main event, I’m focusing only on my fight with Marlon Alta.
“I can’t wait to get in there and get back to doing what I do best.”
While co-manager Matt Clark will be focused on Hooper’s return, he will also have one eye on Sunday’s main event as winner of the Australia light-heavyweight title clash between Kerry Foley and Dane Mulivai could well be Damien’s next opponent.
“Damien has been itching to get back in the ring and get the result of his last fight out of the way. He’s been training hard and he understands he can’t afford any more slip ups and his preparation has been much better this time around,” Clark said.
“We intend on challenging the winner of the main event for the Australian light-heavyweight title, but he has to take care of Marlon Alta first. A huge thank you to Angelo Di Carlo for promoting this bout, he’s been a pleasure to work with.”
