Boxing has always been a popular sport in the UK, but maybe not quite as popular as it could have been in recent times. This was in large part to the lack of talent in the UK scene. People have always wanted to bet on fights, but nothing really took their interest.
Until now…
The UK scene has exploded, in large part thanks to the investment in grassroots Boxing. This has led to the UK being a dominant force in the world amateur scene, and now, with many of those promising talents turning pro, the UK is considered home of Boxing.
Big contests have been selling out 90k arenas in the UK, something which is unheard of elsewhere in the world. So with the growing popularity, it’s only natural that interest is growing in the latest fight odds, and people wanting to know how to bet on the fights too.
So we have created this guide to give you a run down of how to bet on the fights, and also how to improve your chances of making a profit.
How to bet on the biggest fights
Should you want to bet on the fight, the first thing to do before you search for the fight odds, is ensure you’re familiar with the sport, how it works, the markets on offer and also how they work.
We’re going to give you a brief overview of the key things to know and look out for before you place your first bet on the fight online.
Firstly, I’m sure everyone knows the absolute basics, that two Boxers get into a ring, and try to knock each other out. But there are numerous ways you can win a Boxing contest, and the likelihood of each one depends on the style of the Boxers and the weight they’re Boxing at.
#1 Knockout (KO)
This is everyone’s favourite, because usually, it’s the most brutal. To win by knock out, a fighter must knock his opponent to the canvas. The referee will give the fallen fighter 10 seconds to show he is able to continue.
#2 Technical Knockout (TKO)
A technical knockout can be achieved in a few ways. It’s either when the referee stops the contest, the opponent’s corner throw in the towel, or the opponent cannot continue due to an injury caused by a punch.
#3 Decision (D)
Winning by decision means the fight has drawn to a conclusion, and it is decided by the judges scorecards. Three judges sat ringside will score each round and produce their own scorecard. This creates a best out of three scenario, where the winning fighter must have been awarded the contest by more judges than his opponent in order to win the fight.
#4 Technical Decision (TD)
A technical decision is where the fight must be stopped due to an injury caused by an accidental collision, such as a bang of heads. Each governing body has their own specific rules, but generally, if this happens before the 4th round, the fight will be declared a draw. However, if it happens after, the judges scorecards will be used to determine the winner of the contest.
#5 Disqualification (DQ)
A fighter is disqualified for doing something against the rules. Such as Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield’s ear off. Ouch.
Tip 1: If you bet on the fight – Ignore the hype
One of the best things about Boxing, is the build up to each fight. However, some Boxing promoters have gained a bad name for building fights a little too much, as sometimes they really fail to live up to expectation.
The hype is one of the most dangerous parts of the event if you want to bet on fights. It is very easy to get carried away listening to the confidence of a fighter when he comes up against a formidable opponent.
While you can sometimes get a good gauge on a fighter’s state of mind, it’s important to try and deal with facts as much as possible when you’re plotting your bets.
If you stick to facts, then you may be able to pick up great value while everyone is backing a fighter because of some smooth talking during a press conference.
Tip 2: If you bet on the fight – be careful of fighter’s record
Again, thanks to the crafty ways of the Boxing promoters, some fighters seem to be the reincarnation of Muhammad Ali, only to get knocked out stone cold within one round when they face a credible opponent.
This is because promoters often give their fighters easy contests to pad out their records and to make them seem like great fighters.
So instead of just looking at the number of wins the fighters have had, look at who they have fought. Try and spot any common opponents and use those fights as a yardstick.
Information such as their weight, height and reach advantage, as well as their fighting style and whether they use an orthodox or southpaw stance are other key things to consider.
Current world boxing scene
So now you know the key things to look out for and how to bet on the fight, the question remains, when are the biggest fights, and which fighters should you look out for?
We’ve picked out the best fights to look out for over the coming months:
May
5: O2 Arena, London – Tony Bellew v David Haye (heavyweight); Joe Joyce v Tom Little (heavyweight)
12: Madison Square Garden, New York City – Vasyl Lomachenko v Jorge Linares
12: Macron Stadium, Bolton – Hughie Fury v Sam Sexton
19: Elland Road, Leeds – Lee Selby v Josh Warrington
June
9: Manchester Arena, Manchester – Tyson Fury v Sefer Seferi
16: Venue TBC, Dallas, Texas – Errol Spence v Carlos Ocampo
23: 02 Arena, London – Billy Joe Saunders v Martin Murray
July
14: Venue TBC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Manny Pacquiao v Lucas Matthysse
First up is the barnstormer that is Haye v Bellew 2, which was a fascinating watch the first time around. Haye ruptured his achilles tendon, and bravely fought on, but it proved an impossible task as Bellew stopped Haye in the 11th. The second instalment leaves many questions. There’s no doubt, an in form and younger Haye would be a huge favourite, especially at heavyweight. But, huge fitness concerns came to light in the first fight. Currently, Tony Bellew is 7/4, which looks like it could be good value.
Also on the horizon, is the return of the mac, Tyson Fury. Fury shocked the world with one of the greatest boxing performances ever seen, beating record breaking heavyweight, Wladimir Klitschko in Germany, which is his Boxing home. Following that win, Tyson has battled a few demons, but if his training footage is anything to go by, he is on his way back to his best. The opponent for his next fight is unknown, but it’s expected to be little more than a warm up fight in anticipation for him fighting in a World Title fight at the start of 2019.
On the subject of the heavyweight scene, there is also an interesting story brewing between Britain’s own Anthony Joshua and American Deontay Wilder. It is the fight the fans want to see, and talks are in progress to make the fight happen in late 2018. The fight odds on this contest would be really interesting, as they’re two undefeated World Title holders. So just watch this space.
As you can see, the next few months are jam packed with lots of great fights. So if you want to bet on the fight that appeals to you most, we may have a solution which can greatly increase your chances of profiting. We’ll cover this in the next section.
Matched betting on boxing guide
We mentioned a solution which can help you maximise the value you get from your fight odds if you want to bet on the fights taking place in the coming months.
The process to help you do this, is something we specialise in helping people with, it’s called matched betting. It that allows you to take advantage of the bookmakers’ offers, and bypass the restrictive terms and conditions, turning the promotions into withdrawable cash.
Due to its popularity, boxing is a sport for which the bookmakers create numerous offers to entice customers. These can be in the shape of new account welcome bonuses, enhanced price specials, or money back specials.
To give you a brief example of how this works, we’ll give you an overview of a promotion offered by Unibet for the recent Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker fight.
Unibet allowed their customers to place a bet of up to £10 on one of a few selected markets, and if it lost, you’d receive a free bet of up to £10.
Using the matched betting tools and calculators that our members have at their disposal, they were able to place a few simple bets in a matter of minutes to make a guaranteed profit of £5.
It may not seem like a lot, but there are hundreds of these offers available, and the profits soon build up!
To learn more about matched betting and how you can make up to £1000 per month in risk-free cash, check out our video by clicking the link below.
