BOXING BETTING GUIDE

004- AGAINST THE ODDS -007 COMMONSENSE BOXING BETS

CONTENTS

JULY 2022

011-013

008- BOXING BETTING -010 FOR BEGINNERS

STRATEGY FOR NEW GAMBLERS

011- BIG WINS -013 REMEMBERED GRAHAM HOUSTON’S BEST BETS

014-017

014- ESTRADA VS -017 GONZALEZ III TRILOGY AT SUPER-FLY

018- SPENCE VS -022 CRAWFORD BATTLE FOR 147LBS SUPREMACY

026-031

023- USYK VS -025 JOSHUA II REVENGE ON THE CARDS?

026- CANELO VS -031 GOLOVKIN III BITTER FOES TO SETTLE SCORE

036-044

032- DAVIS VS -035 GARCIA TANK TIME OR KING TO REIGN?

036- THE UPSETTERS -044 MAJOR UPSETS OF RECENT YEARS

EDITOR

PUBLISHER

DESIGNER

MARK BUTCHER JORDAN POLLOCK ELEANOR RIPLEY

002 OCTOBER 2020

CONTRIBUTORS GRAHAM HOUSTON, LUKE G. WILLIAMS, MARK BUTCHER, SHAUN BROWN, CRAIG SCOTT, JOHN A. MACDONALD, GARRY WHITE

COVER

HARRY PAIN JULY 2022

003

AGAINST THE ODDS

TO K I C K O F F B OX I N G S O C I A L M AG A Z I N E ’S SPECIAL GAMBLING E D I T I O N , E D I TO R M A R K B U TC H E R LO O KS AT H I S S I M P L E K E YS TO A WINNING BET SLIP IN H I S L AT E S T C O L U M N .

CONTINUES

Frank Bruno surprised many by winning a world heavyweight title at his fourth attempt in 1995.

004 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM ALAMY/PA IMAGES/REUTERS

JULY 2022 005

But other times the information is rock solid. Before Frank Bruno challenged Oliver McCall in 1995, a US contact told me that the WBC heavyweight champion was in a very bad way, stumbling out of rehab and acting erratically (this being before McCall’s infamous meltdown against Lennox Lewis in their rematch). I backed Bruno to win on points and was almost laughed out of the Boxing News office, where I worked as a staffer at the time. Yet on fight night, Bruno outboxed a trudging McCall and my pick came in. One of my BN colleagues even left in disgust before the decision was announced! It feels more rewarding when your unfancied judgement on a fight or fighter proves to be correct. That’s part of the thrill.

etting on a two-horse race where one competitor is often nailed on to win, with dreadful odds, isn’t the easiest proposition.

Scour down the left-hand side of the bill on most major fight cards in the UK and you will regularly find unpalatable odds of 1/12 up to 1/100 for most house fighters to prevail. To put this in perspective, Premier League Champions Manchester City were 1/7, less of a favourite, to beat bottom club Norwich City in February. Predictably, Man. City coasted to a 4-0 victory.

But boxing is an even less competitive business, offering less competitive terms (apart from the all too rare elite vs elite battles); where the winner often seems a foregone conclusion, as capable but unspectacular fighters are carefully built up to a title shot beneath the glare of the main event.

There are, however, a few simple hacks and commonsense rules for those taking a dip into boxing betting for the first time.

Of course, bets need to be based on informed decisions. A shot in the dark will misfire. Study the bets you make, read voraciously and look for patterns.

Mauricio Lara (left) shocked Josh Warrington in 2021 and unsung Mexican visitors have a habit of upsetting the formbook in the UK.

Give most undercards a swerve for the reasons stated above but be mindful that fighters on the B-side with a solid record of durability will generally last the distance. Early KO streaks fade when the majority of fighters step up.

Overseas, world championship fights at 126lbs and below are generally competitive and can offer value. Deeper divisions featuring smaller men built for speed but with less size and dig mean there’s a favourable chance the bout is going the full distance for many of these title fights (outside of the UK’s softer matchmaking to facilitate the house fighter).

But hometown decisions can also be your friend. On high profile cards in the UK, house fighters with a hefty promotional push always have a chance on the cards, even if they are barely standing at the final bell. It doesn’t matter if a house fighter appears to be handily outboxed or banged up, recent history tells us they are often worth a hopeful punt ‘in play’.

The pre-fight word from respected US fight agent Sean Gibbons was that Lara was the real deal even if the Mexican’s record did not suggest much of a challenge. Yet this proved a gross miscalculation by Warrington’s promoters Matchroom.

Gibbons knew the visiting fighter well and his analysis proved correct, with Lara handing the Leeds man an unexpected beatdown.

Catch the unfancied fighters who have sailed under the bookmakers’ notice, recognise durability at a high level and quality of opposition vs inflated records. Work out your system, understand the game, enjoy the process, dig deeper and, as always, set a sensible budget you are prepared to lose. I wish you every success and hope you enjoy the rest of this gambling-themed issue.

Bruno revels in his WBC title effort against the tough but erratic McCall.

Sometimes boxing journalists get useful sniffs of information, word of mouth from reliable sources. But the boxing grapevine offers false tells, too. ‘X is looking spectacular in the gym’ counts for a little. Some boxers are gym fighters.

They perform best away from the bright lights, but fall short when it matters.

The heavyweight division with its padded, protected records can also present value. A seasoned pro heavy can sometimes upset a prospect with a flattering slate. Hype is rampant in the most hulking weight class. The division has a history of great hopes and imagined monsters who sunk swiftly in deeper waters.

Given the sheer size of the heavyweights, the upset KO is always possible. There’s probably more value among the heavies than any other division. So many heavyweight prospects with glossy records fall short after a pillow-soft start.

You can sometimes unearth favourable odds on underpromoted challengers who are no less capable than their heavily-backed opponents. Latin America often provides good value with untouted fighters from Mexico regularly shocking British favourites, most memorably Mauricio Lara against Josh Warrington last year.

006 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM BOXING

PHOTOS FROM ALAMY/PA IMAGES/REUTERS

JULY 2022 007

Backers of Dmitry Bivol on points saw their outside 17/2 (+850) bet come in when the WBA light-heavyweight (left) champion outfoxed Mexican star Canelo Alvarez in May.

o, you keep seeing fight odds referenced, you have your own opinion on the outcome of certain contests, and you’d like to try your hand at betting on boxing. But where and how do you start? Here’s a beginner’s guide from someone who has been doing this since 1992.

I’m assuming your intention is to bet on a serious basis rather than just taking the occasional flutter. If that is the case, then you will need to set up an account at an online sportsbook. There are many good sportsbooks out there. You’re basically spoiled for choice.

What I would suggest is that you open an account with more than one book, maybe three books. This way, if you’d like to bet on a bout but are really unsure about your selection, you could make the bet at just one book. If the bet comes in, great. If not, then your accounts at the other two books won’t take a hit.

B OX I N G B E T T I N G FOR BEGINNERS BOXING GAMBLING EXPERT AND IBHOF INDUCTEE GRAHAM HOUSTON GIVES A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BETTING ON THE F I G H T G A M E , E X P L A I N I N G H I S S T R AT E G Y F O R S O M E O N E S TA R T I N G O U T I N A B U S Y M A R K E T. B E T T O R S A R E , O F C O U R S E , A D V I S E D O N LY T O G A M B L E W H AT T H E Y A R E P R E P A R E D T O L O S E .

008 JULY 2022

Also, different books have different betting lines. Some books offer a variety of proposition wagers. (By proposition wager, I mean betting options such as “total Or maybe for a holiday. Whatever. So, rounds”, “method of victory” and so on.) if you fancy giving boxing betting a try, why not put some money aside for this Books that follow Nevada gambling rules purpose? You could always look at it as call a draw a “push” and you get your entertainment — but entertainment with wager refunded regardless of which boxer the possibility of showing a return on you’ve backed. investment.

Most UK/Ireland books, however, have the For the purposes of this article, let’s say three-way-bet system. Under this system, you have $3,000 to invest in betting on if you bet on a boxer to win (what is sometimes referred to as the “money line”) boxing and you have this spread over three sportsbooks.

It doesn’t have to be and the contest ends in a draw, you lose three grand. Bet what you feel you can your money. afford to lose. And, look, as I’m writing So, under the three-way system, you need these words people are getting hammered in all instances to put something on the on stock-market investments and getting draw as a “cover” when simply betting on absolutely destroyed on crypto-currency a boxer to win (covering your investment.) portfolios. So, any type of investment Draws are infrequent, so you get decent is going to be a gamble. But you follow odds on a bout ending up all-even. Better boxing, and you know something about to be safe than sorry. boxing, right? You’ve picked winners in the past. At least you are making an How much should you deposit? The investment in something where you have simple rule is to bet what you can afford some knowledge rather than relying on a to lose. Most people set money aside for financial advisor whose decisions may or entertainment purposes. may not be the correct ones.

PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM BOXING USA

CONTINUES JULY 2022 009

BIG WINS REMEMBERED BOXING GAMBLING EXPERT AND IBHOF INDUCTEE GRAHAM HOUSTON RECALLS SOME OF HIS FAVOURITE BETS THAT CAME IN DURING 30 YEARS OF WAGERING ON THE FIGHT GAME.

And you don’t have to bet big amounts.

Even a $50 win can be satisfying. You don’t have to bet on everything. Pick your spots for your wagers. In some weeks there are as many as 30 bouts on the betting board. Narrow it down to the bets you feel most strongly about. If you don’t have a strong opinion on a fight (or a strong “lean” as they say in the betting fraternity), then why bet on it? There will be plenty of other betting opportunities down the road.

For beginners, I’d initially be inclined to bet conservatively. You don’t want to blow through your deposits with reckless betting. Look on it as a longterm investment. I’d advise setting a limit on what you wager on each bout, say “to win $100” or “to risk $100”. (Or whatever makes sense to you, depending on your budget.) When you start to get more comfortable with your wagering, then you can consider going bigger.

Of course, we want to win. But losses go with the territory. If the worst happens and you end up in the red, you can always reassess the situation. Maybe just take a time out from betting if things aren’t going your way.

You could even keep a betting diary where you can look back and see what went right and what went wrong. Perhaps a particular type of wager hasn’t worked out for you. Maybe you had a couple of “bad Don’t get carried away if you start winning beats” as they say in the trade (such as a This brings me to another aspect of betting consistently. Stick to the $100 (or whatever) bet on a fight lasting the distance getting on the fights. At the end of the day, boxing limit you have set yourself. Stay disciplined. scuppered by a head clash). betting should be about enjoyment.

If you’re doing well, and there is a bout But never, ever, chase losses. Losing Having a bet on a fight (having “action” coming up where you have a particularly streaks (“cold streaks” as they say in the as they say in the US) increases one’s strong lean, then you could consider business) can happen to the best of fight sense of anticipation. And being financially raising the stakes a little. But it’s a long forecasters. Don’t, for instance, double up invested in a boxing match heightens the game, not some sort of get-rich-quick on wagers to try to recoup losses. That’s a excitement, even if the bout isn’t thrilling in scheme. For me, the secret is slow, steady slippery slope. and of itself. I remember a great Las Vegas progress. Think of yourself as being a oddsmaker named Herb Lambeck telling prudent investor. me that he was on the edge of his seat Unless you have a terrible run of bad luck, JUST STICK TO YOUR watching a heavyweight bout between you should be able to stay in the game at GUNS, STICK TO THE Trevor Berbick and ST Gordon that most the very least. If you’re a new to all this, I’d observers considered a dreary spectacle WAGERING LIMITS YOU set a 12-month target. If you’re in the black — but not Herb, who had bet on the fight at the end of 12 months, then perhaps HAVE SET YOURSELF, AND going the full 10-round distance. look at raising your bet limits for the next YOU SHOULD BE FINE. 12-month segment.

De La Hoya (left) was far too fresh for ageing legend Chavez in their crossroads bout in June 1996. here are highs and lows in boxing betting. Losing is no fun and can be incredibly disheartening.

But it’s rewarding when wagers come home as winners, and painstaking study turns out to have been time well spent.

It looked like an even-money fight. De La Hoya was undefeated, Ruelas had won 16 bouts in a row. Would De La Hoya’s skills prevail? Or would Ruelas simply keep steaming into De La Hoya and ultimately overwhelm him?

Sometimes, certain fighters prove to be reliable. Personally speaking, Oscar De La Hoya was a big winner for me. I was on Oscar in his lightweight unification match against Rafael Ruelas and again when the Golden Boy had the first of two bouts against Julio Cesar Chavez. I was on site in Las Vegas for both bouts.

To me, the fight was never likely to go the distance. Maybe it was just an aberration, but Ruelas had been dropped by the trial horse Mauro Gutierrez four years earlier, and he had misjudged the count. It was his only defeat but it was a red flag. But, more recently, Ruelas had been dropped twice in the first round of his title-winning fight with Freddie Pendleton. Sure, he came back and swarmed all over Fearless Freddie for a unanimous decision win, but I had the sense that if De La Hoya caught and hurt Ruelas early in the fight there would be no coming back.

De La Hoya against Ruelas took place outdoors at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on May 6, 1995. In De La Hoya, we had the Olympic gold medallist with the movie-star looks, undefeated, the more polished boxer. Ruelas brought relentless pressure. Both lived in Los Angeles. Each fighter was of Mexican ancestry and each held a title.

I felt solid in my opinion that De La Hoya was going to knock Ruelas out, perhaps early. Everyone knew that Ruelas would be going right at De La Hoya. And Oscar was a sharp and accurate puncher.

CONTINUES 010 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM BOXING USA

PHOTO FROM WBC

JULY 2022

011

“

ALL YOU CAN BORROW, BEG, SCRAPE, PILFER, PUT IT ON CHAVEZ NOW, BECAUSE THERE’S NO STOCK YOU CAN BUY ON THE MARKET THAT’S GOING TO TRIPLE IN A FEW MONTHS. ” – Chavez’s promoter Don King, before his fighter was comfortably halted by a rising De La Hoya.

Simply put, I loved Oscar in the fight and I loved the “won’t go” proposition. De La Hoya destroyed Chavez, of course, busting him up with jabs and hooks and uppercuts for a fourth-round TKO. My ringside neighbour was the late, great boxing writer Harry Mullan. “Oh, what a shame,” Harry said as De La Hoya’s thudding left hands ripped a gash over Chavez’s left eye in the first round. A shame, yes, for many, to see Chavez bloodied so early — but not a shame at all for De La Hoya backers.

If Oscar De La Hoya was a big winner for me, then so was Floyd Mayweather, in particular in his fights with Diego “Chico” Corrales, Arturo Gatti, De La Hoya himself, Ricky Hatton and, of course, Conor McGregor. I was on Mayweather pretty big in all of these fights.

The bout with Corrales had the fight fraternity divided. It took place on January 20, 2001 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather showed as a -135 (20/27) favourite at the MGM Sportsbook after Corrales money cut the odds from a -170 (10/17) opening line.

Mayweather was defending his 130lbs title in a meeting of undefeated boxers and he was considered the superior technician, but Corrales was a tall, rangy power puncher who had stopped 27 opponents in 33 wins.

Golden Boy De La Hoya paid off handsomely for Houston over the years.

The brilliant Mayweather could always be counted on at the sportsbook, halting popular but overmatched fighters like Hatton (above right) and McGregor (below).

t seemed a fight that could not possibly go the full 12 rounds. So I made two plays: De La Hoya to win at, from memory, 5/9 (-180) and the “under 10.5 rounds” at, again from memory, -120.

Again, the fight was outdoors at Caesars Palace. The date: June 7, 1996. De La Hoya opened as a 1/3 (-300) favourite.

Bob Arum, De La Hoya’s promoter, co-promoted with Don King, who represented Chavez.

“My feeling is that De La Hoya will produce the boxing, punching and mental and physical toughness that is needed to win,” I wrote in a preview for the monthly publication Professional Boxing Update.

“All you can borrow, beg, scrape, pilfer, put it on Chavez now, because there’s no stock you can buy on the market that’s going to triple in a few months,” King proclaimed when the fight was announced.

The actual pick was De La Hoya to win in the last four rounds.

But De La Hoya exceeded expectations with a second-round knockout win.

The event was billed as Ultimate Glory. Money showed for Chavez and by the eve of the fight Oscar was available at -210 (10/21) at the Mirage sportsbook in Las Vegas. Odds on the bout going over/under 10.5 rounds were offered at -120 pick your side (or “pick’em” as they say in the trade). “De La Hoya, fired with the ambition of youth, might be able to produce the sort of spectacular performance that earns comparison with the great fighters of yesteryear,” I wrote in the Boxing Monthly preview.

De La Hoya vs Chavez was another fight where I had a strong opinion. The Golden Boy was moving up from lightweight to challenge perhaps Mexico’s greatest-ever fighter at 140, but I saw this as trains going in different directions.

“

MY FEELING IS THAT DE LA HOYA WILL PRODUCE THE BOXING, PUNCHING AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS THAT IS NEEDED TO WIN.”

012 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM ALAMY

Mayweather’s original “Pretty Boy” nickname (actually a nod to old-time gangster Pretty Boy Floyd) was a bit misleading. The Mayweather who faced Corrales had matured into a fighter who was mentally and physically tougher than generally acknowledged. I just didn’t see Chico blasting him out. I was convinced that Mayweather’s science and savvy would get the job done, and that’s what happened, with a befuddled and bewildered Corrales getting worn down and stopped in 10 rounds.

Because of Gatti’s and Hatton’s huge popularity the odds were hopelessly skewed. These were fights in which Mayweather backers got excellent odds (around -300 for the Gatti fight and -235 for the Hatton bout). I was solidly on Mayweather in these spots. And Mayweather to beat MMA superstar Conor McGregor at anything below -400 was akin to a licence to steal money for boxing bettors. We got those odds, too, as the MMA crowd lumped money on McGregor.

I liked the idea Mayweather’s boxing smarts and educated jab to blunt Corrales’ firing power. The -160 odds were just fine for me. I also played Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ at odds of +250 (5/2).

It seemed to me that Corrales was getting hit far too easily in his 10th-round TKO win over the Ugandan, Justin Juuko and I thought there was an excellent chance that Mayweather could make him miss, hit him consistently with crisp punches and wear him down.

PHOTOS FROM ALAMY & ESTHER LIN/SHOWTIME

Other favourite bets on big fights included Lennox Lewis to beat Andrew Golota in their heavyweight title fight in Atlantic City. The Flamingo Hilton sportsbook in Las Vegas was offering Lewis at -150 (2/3). I climbed all over those odds. I viewed Golota as a fighter who could unravel mentally at any moment. And I trusted Lewis, who was on a winning run and had just given a dominant performance against Henry Akinwande.

“I feel that Lewis has the advantage here,” I wrote in a preview for Professional Boxing Update. “In a tough fight he could be steadier, more reliable, than Golota, which could ultimately decide matters, perhaps by TKO somewhere around the ninth round.”

I must confess that I didn’t expect Lewis to score a first-round KO — but for me it was a wonderful result, one of those rare occasions when a big win was no sweat whatsoever.

JULY 2022 013

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

VS

ROMAN GONZALEZ III LUKE G. WILLIAMS LOOKS AHEAD TO THE EAGERLYANTICIPATED RUBBER MATCH BETWEEN MINI-MARVELS JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA AND ROMAN GONZALEZ WHO ARE SET TO COLLIDE AGAIN LATER THIS YEAR.

CONTINUES

014 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM BOXING USA

JULY 2022 015

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

Super-flyweight supremacy, of course! Estrada holds the WBA ‘super’ title and WBC ‘franchise’ belt at present, but more importantly he is the consensual champion at 115lbs (a case bolstered by ‘The Ring’ magazine recognition).

However, perhaps more significant than that is the fact that these two warriors will be fighting for the ‘championship of each other’ (copyright the great Jerry Izenberg when writing about Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier). This is the third and decisive rubber match of a fierce and compelling rivalry, which is currently tied at one victory apiece. As Estrada has said: “This is it - this is for all the marbles and to see once and for all who is the best at 115lbs.”

FORM:

Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) is riding a six-fight winning streak since his majority decision loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in February 2018. ‘El Gallo’ has impressively won two of his last three via stoppage, halting overmatched Dewayne Beamon in a stay-busy defence in August 2019 and then becoming the first man to halt the tough and talented Carlos Cuadras in an October 2020 fight for the ages - the second meeting between the two Mexican rivals. On that occasion, Estrada climbed off the floor in round three, before twice knocking ‘El Principe’ down in round 11 and forcing a stoppage.

In Estrada’s last fight - of course - he defeated Chocolatito via a disputed split decision, most ringside observers feeling the Nicaraguan had done enough to get the nod.

As for Gonzalez (51-3-0, 41 KOs), he has gone the distance in all of his last three contests, outclassing Israel Gonzalez in an October 2020 defence of the WBA ‘super’ crown on the same bill as Estrada-Cuadras II. Then came the aforementioned and disputed rematch loss to Estrada. After two postponements of the rubber match, Chocolatito stayed busy in March with a mightily impressive 12-round domination of Julio Cesar Martinez, hitherto regarded by most as the best flyweight in the world. At 35, the great man - remarkably - seems to be displaying few visible signs of decay or decline.

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

ROMAN GONZALEZ

BACKGROUND:

Both men have beaten the other once, and their styles seem perfectly matched to produce another stone-cold classic.

As Estrada himself has said - a meeting between these two pugilists is “guaranteed war”.

Perhaps the biggest imponderable ahead of this fight is how Estrada will have been affected by more being out of the ring for around a year-and-a-half, Covid issues for both fighters having twice put paid to scheduled dates for this rubber match.

While we have seen evidence of how Chocolatito has successfully bounced back from a bout of the virus (he seemed utterly unaffected against Martinez), we are yet to see whether ‘El Gallo’ will have been similarly fortunate.

CURRENT ODDS:

At the time of writing, no concrete odds are available due to the fact the contest is widely rumoured, but not yet confirmed and scheduled.

However, when the previous date of March 5 in San Diego was announced bookmakers saw this as a total pick ‘em fight, with both men rated as 10/11 shots to triumph (-110 in American betting parlance). When a new date is confirmed, expect similarly tight odds - this is as close to a 50-50 fight as you can possibly get.

BOXING SOCIAL PICK: I’m going to edge Gonzalez here, mainly due to the fact Estrada has been more inactive.

The Nicaraguan will be desperate to make amends for what he saw as an unjust decision handed down by the judges in the last fight between these two great warriors and I think he can get over the line. The residual sense that Chocolatito was hard done by last time out may even - subconsciously - persuade the judges to give him a marginal, but crucial, benefit of the doubt on this occasion.

The banker five-star bet here - even though the odds will doubtless be pretty short - is for the fight to go the distance.

In terms of a speculative one-star bet, the odds on Gonzalez winning via stoppage may be worth a punt. Chocolatito is the bigger puncher of the two men and Estrada was floored heavily

by Cuadras not that long ago. If Covid or his long absence from combat have taken any sort of toll on the 32-year-old then Gonzalez could take advantage.

016 JULY 2022

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

RECORD

51-3 (41 KOS)

42-3 (28 KOS)

AGE

35

32

STANCE

ORTHODOX

ORTHODOX

NICKNAME

CHOCOLATITO

EL GALLO

COUNTRY

NICARAGUA

MEXICO

HEIGHT

5FT 3INS

5FT 4INS

REACH

64INS

66INS

KO %

75.93%

62.22%

PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM BOXING USA

JULY 2022 017

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

ERROL SPENCE

VS

TERENCE C R AW F O R D

JOHN A. MACDONALD SETS THE SCENE FOR THE EPIC C O N F R O N TAT I O N B E T W E E N R E I G N I N G W E LT E R W E I G H T K I N G S ERROL SPENCE AND TERENCE C R AW F O R D , E X P E C T E D T O TA K E P L A C E L AT E R T H I S Y E A R .

CONTINUES

018 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK

JULY 2022 019

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE IF YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST FIGHT, THEN SPENCE IS VERY GOOD INDEED.”

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE Like Spence, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) enters this potential match-up on the back of the biggest victory of his career. ‘Bud’ became the first man to stop Shawn Porter when he halted the two-time welterweight champion in the 10th round in November 2021. It was the Omaha native’s ninth consecutive win inside the scheduled distance in a streak which dates back six years. Despite being a three-weight world champion, the 34-year-old has found defining fights hard to come by.

The situation was exacerbated during his run at 147lbs where most top contenders and titlists were aligned with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), whereas Crawford was under a promotional contract with Top Rank. With the best in the division unavailable, it was imperative that ‘Bud’ despatched of the opposition in front of him in style, which he did. Crawford dropped Egidijus Kavaliauskas three times en route to a ninthround stoppage in December 2019. He followed that win with a fourth-round victory against former IBF holder Kell Brook.

Triangle theory holds little weight in the sport, but Crawford sent a message by defeating Porter and Brook with greater ease than Spence.

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

The right to be called the undisputed champion at 147lbs. Spence is in possession of three quarters of the welterweight titles having won the WBA, WBC and IBF straps, while Crawford is the WBO champion. Becoming undisputed in the four-belt era is suddenly in vogue and Crawford is looking to become the first man to do so in two different divisions, having previously achieved the feat at 140lbs. For all of both men’s accomplishments, each is still without a career-defining win, a victory over the other would change that. The winner would become the first undisputed welterweight ruler since the acceptance of the WBO as the fourth major sanctioning body. History, legacy and all the marbles are on the line.

FORM:

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) produced a career-best performance in April, stopping Yordenis Ugas in the 10th round to add the WBA belt to his collection. It was a timely reminder of just how good the London 2012 Olympian can be. As a prospect, the Texan was perceived by many within the sport as the heir apparent to the pound-for-pound throne, but recent showings left some observers with the belief that ‘The Truth’ had failed to live up to his potential and that, at best, he had stagnated and, at worst, he had regressed. Such assessments are harsh, but Spence’s two previous victories had fallen short of the high standard the 32-year-old had previously set . A split decision victory over Shawn Porter in September 2019 was followed up with a unanimous decision against Danny Garcia in December 2020. Spence had been due to face Manny Pacquiao in August 2021, but the American had to withdraw due to a retinal tear in his left eye. Ugas stepped in and ended the boxing career of the Filipino senator. The injury did not appear to inhibit Spence in any way as the ruthless streak that had been missing of late returned against Ugas. If you are only as good as your last fight, then Spence is very good indeed.

BACKGROUND:

Since Crawford captured the WBO belt in 2018, there has been a clamour for him to face Spence. Both men continuously made it clear they wanted the bout, but, as is often the case, promotional differences were prohibitive.

Crawford was under contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, while Spence fights under the PBC banner. Those two companies rarely work together. It felt like the match-up would only happen when both boxers were in decline. Thankfully, that is not the case. ‘Bud’ parted ways with Arum after his victory over Porter in November. Finally, the fight had a realistic chance of coming to fruition.

Spence’s powers of recuperation put Wolverine to shame.

In 2019, ‘The Truth’ was ejected from his Ferrari during a lifethreatening car crash. Somehow, the Texan escaped relatively unscathed. The eye injury which prevented the Pacquiao clash taking place does not appear to have had lasting effects either.

At 34, Crawford has not displayed any signs of decline.

If anything, he appears to be a better fighter than he was five years ago.

It is one of those rare occasions where we may see two of the best in the sport face each other in their primes.

CURRENT ODDS:

At the time of writing, Crawford is a slight favourite at 4/5, while Spence is available at evens. It is likely most bookies will offer similar prices. This is a true 50-50.

BOXING SOCIAL PICK:

I’ve always liked Crawford in this one and, despite Spence’s impressive performance last time out, I still believe the Nebraskan will come out on top.

Crawford’s ability to make adjustments during a fight is second to none. I can see the first half of the fight being extremely competitive before ‘Bud’ takes over during the final six rounds.

The five-star banker bet is Crawford outright. I think 4/5 is a good price and one which I can see getting shorter.

For those who prefer something a bit more speculative, there will be longer odds available on ‘Bud’ to halt his rival between rounds 10-12. Crawford is of the best finishers in boxing; if he hurts Spence, he will end the fight.

CONTINUES 020 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK, RYAN HAFEY/ PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS & AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME

JULY 2022 021

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

ERROL SPENCE

TERENCE C R AW F O R D

RECORD

28-0 (22 KOS)

38-0 (29 KOS)

AGE

32

34

STANCE

SOUTHPAW

SWITCH-HITTER

NICKNAME

THE TRUTH

BUD

COUNTRY

AMERICA

AMERICA

HEIGHT

5FT 9½INS

5FT 8INS

REACH

72INS

74INS

KO %

78.57%

76.32%

022 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK & AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

OLEKSANDR USYK VS ANTHONY JOSHUA II

C R A I G S C OT T P R E V I E WS T H E LO N G -AWA I T E D O L E KSA N D R U SY K VS A N T H O N Y J O S H UA R E M ATC H , W H I C H TA K E S P L AC E I N J E D DA H , SAU D I A R A B I A, O N AU G U ST 20. W I L L I T B E A R E P E AT V I C TO RY F O R T H E M AST E R F U L U SY K O R SW E E T R E V E N G E F O R T H E CONTINUES P O P U L A R J O S H UA? JULY 2022 023

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

One man fights for everything he’s lost while for the other this prize-fight is part of a far smaller battle; as Anthony Joshua attempts to rekindle his form of old and bulldoze his way through the exquisite, currently unsolvable, puzzle master Oleksandr Usyk. The heavyweight stars rematch on August 20 in Saudi Arabia, with Usyk’s WBA, WBO and IBF world titles on the line. While many boxing fans may doubt the Watford man’s chances of becoming a three-time heavyweight champion, he and his new-look coaching team are ready to punch holes through walls.

Walls, however, are grounded and cemented into position.

The Ukrainian champion will be the opposite; he’ll be fluid, elusive and determined to better his virtuoso performance in September 2021.

FORM:

Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) doesn’t know what it feels like to lose as a professional boxer. And he isn’t planning on finding out anytime soon. After a stellar run of form in the cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series – where he outclassed Marco Huck, Mairis Breidis and Murat Gassiev, Usyk then demolished Liverpool’s former WBC cruiserweight champion, Tony Bellew. His domination at 200lbs was complete and, since jumping up to heavyweight, a misleading, hard-fought victory over Dereck Chisora preceded his first bout with Joshua. It was that night, after flattering to deceive against ‘War’ Chisora less than a year previously, that Usyk defied any remaining critics when schooling Joshua. He looked two steps ahead of the reigning, unified champion, leaving Joshua bamboozled and out of ideas. His form is unbeatable – his class is elite.

For Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), Britain’s Golden Boy has seen his form yo-yo in recent years after racking up an impressive 22 wins on the spin. Joshua looked imperious, blasting out 21 of those opponents including names such as Alexander Povetkin, Wladimir Klitschko, Carlos Takam and Dominic Breazeale. But when fighting in New York, he didn’t “wanna be a part of it” in his first foray into the American market.

Short notice replacement and aesthetically unconvincing Andy Ruiz punched Joshua’s world upside down, and the Brit suffered an emphatic seventh-round stoppage loss.

Joshua bounced back, displaying decent fundamentals to reclaim his belts from Ruiz, and then stopped Bulgarian challenger, Kubrat Pulev. Now, he’ll attempt to overcome Usyk, the second man to hand him a loss, but this won’t be Joshua vs Ruiz II, you can be assured.

024 JULY 2022

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

OLEKSANDR USYK

BACKGROUND:

Usyk made no bones about his ambition when departing the cruiserweight division. Same superiority again. The pair were immediately linked and, while Joshua was favoured slightly, most hardcore boxing fans knew that Usyk would stretch him.

ANTHONY JOSHUA

Both fighters share a fearless desire to fight whoever is placed in front of them. Joshua has taken on an impressive list of heavyweights and, even though this rematch with Usyk looks to be his toughest task yet, he chased it; he wants it. Maestro Usyk, meanwhile, is welcoming a rematch with the British fighter, confident he can prevail in even more devastating fashion.

Joshua has since teamed up with esteemed trainer Robert Garcia and old hand Angel Fernandez, an intriguing combination, and now he is without former, long-time coach, Rob McCracken. Can an old dog learn new tricks? Usyk has been fighting on Ukraine’s front line during the nation’s ongoing crisis and this raises huge questions. What kind of physical shape will he be in come fight night? How is he, mentally, after such a gruelling, tumultuous few months?

It may spur him on – to a performance that stands for much more than personal accolades.

CURRENT ODDS:

Usyk remains a firm favourite to repeat his 2021 victory, with outright odds currently at 2/5 (-250 for our American gamblers), while Joshua is 7/4 (+175) to regain what he believes is rightfully his. As the fight draws ever closer, you’d imagine the shortest odds would favour Usyk by decision, whilst the lean for the Ukrainian to halt the deposed champion will be more favourable than they were first time round, thanks to a last-round onslaught when Joshua appeared on the brink of catastrophy. Joshua winning by KO/TKO may still hold some value for believers, though.

BOXING SOCIAL PICKS:

I can’t see past a repeat Usyk victory here. He’s one of the most naturally gifted fighters in the sport. The Ukrainian is just too smart, too talented. And he can adapt if the momentum starts shifting through the middle rounds. I think the safe, fivestar bet here is for Usyk to win outright (2/5) but would back a victory by decision or technical decision. Joshua has enough in his locker to see it out, though could suffer late if he goes gung-ho. The long shot, one star bet, would be Joshua to win by either a majority or a split decision. With a new broadcaster imminent in DAZN, in an enormous new deal, a more aggressive fighting style could pay dividends. Stranger things have happened – Joshua could nick it, whether he deserves it or not is another question.

RECORD

19-0 (13 KOS)

24-2 (22 KOS)

AGE

35

32

STANCE

SOUTHPAW

ORTHODOX

NICKNAME

NONE

AJ

COUNTRY

UKRAINE

UNITED KINGDOM

HEIGHT

6FT 3INS

6FT 6INS

REACH

78INS

82INS

KO %

68.42%

84.62%

PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING & SAUDI MINISTRY OF SPORT

JULY 2022 025

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

CANELO A LVA R E Z VS GENNADIY GOLOVKIN III 026 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/HBO BOXING

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

SHAUN BROWN DISSECTS THE THIRD CHAPTER OF T H E G R E AT C A N E L O - G O L O V K I N R I VA L R Y, N O W S E T T O R E C O N V E N E O N S E P T E M B E R 1 7 AT T H E T- M O B I L E ARENA IN LAS VEGAS. CAN GGG ROLL BACK THE YEARS OR WILL CANELO CLOSE THE SERIES? CONTINUES

JULY 2022 027

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

A trilogy fight and the small matter of the undisputed super-middleweight championship held by Canelo would normally be enough. But since they first fought in September 2017 this rivalry has grown and grown. Golovkin feels the first fight should have gone his way while Canelo has become tired of the Kazakh’s barbs. “He’s talked a lot of shit about me so he’s going to pay.” That was how the Mexican felt in March.

So, at stake is not just the undisputed 168lbs crown.

There are bragging rights, the right to be the best supermiddleweight in the world and the opportunity for one to shut the other up. It’s personal. Canelo can close the rivalry once and for all, Golovkin can officially get a ‘W’ on the board in their heated series.

FORM: Canelo’s May 2021 performance against Billy Joe Saunders was the display of a man who was enjoying his work. He was on top of the world and punching injuries into a man who ruffled his feathers in the build-up. Saunders had his moments but with every minute that passed Canelo was taking the fight away from the cocksure Brit. Three belts later became four with the undisputed crown being the cherry on the cake, thanks to another stoppage against Caleb Plant. Paying compliments to one another during the fight was an oddity to observe but, in the end, there was only ever going to be one winner. Canelo had set out to become undisputed at 168lbs and he achieved that goal in 11 months.

But power is the last thing to go in a fighter’s array of attributes and in 2020 against Kamil Szeremeta Golovkin’s destructive hands showed that on their own those hurting palms could beat most at middleweight. One day after his 40th birthday, Golovkin became the boss at 160lbs once again (had he ever really been overtaken though?). Sure, it was a slow start against Ryota Murata in Japan, but the almost middle-aged marauder warmed up round by round. He took his licks knowing full well one punch would change the fight.

Murata had done everything he could to put a dent in him but one of boxing’s best terminators wore him down and became unified champion in the ninth round. ‘The Big Drama Show’ now rolls on to Las Vegas for a third visit, each trip involved a fight against nemesis Canelo.

A SURPRISE LOSS FOR THE MEXICAN AND AN ENCOURAGING WIN FOR THE KAZAKH HAS NOW ALTERED THE STORYLINE AND PERCEPTION.”

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

BACKGROUND:

Before losing to Bivol, the consensus was that Canelo would stop Golovkin come September. The fight had already been agreed before the stop offs in between.

Some even wondered if the trilogy bout would go ahead at all, such was the task painted for Golovkin in Saitama.

A surprise loss for the Mexican and an encouraging win for the Kazakh has now altered the storyline and perception.

Questions are now being asked of the four-weight champion following his downbeat performance against Bivol. The cold truth is that reverse will have likely acted as a wake-up call. A break was needed. A different animal will face Golovkin in September and one who may still be too much at the respective junctures of their careers..

CURRENT ODDS: Betfred currently have Canelo as the odds-on 1/4 favourite at the time of writing while Golovkin is a 16/5 underdog, and you can have 20/1 for a draw.

CONTINUES

Before Dmitry Bivol walked into Las Vegas to defend his WBA light-heavyweight title against Canelo, some had discussed a move to heavyweight for the Mexican once business with the Russian had concluded. The pedestal was higher than ever. Canelo was walking on air and anyone in front of him was supposedly not good enough. Bivol was not interested in any of that hyperbole.

TV companies told us no one knew who Bivol was or how good he could be. Canelo found out to his cost. His attempt at becoming a two-time champion at 175lbs, with aspirations to be undisputed once again, ended as flat as a tortilla. The scorecards had Bivol just two points ahead after the completed 12 rounds, but the reality was far greater than that. Canelo had bitten off more than he could chew.

Three fights in three years for an ageing Golovkin is not ideal. While Canelo was out lobbying as the face of boxing, Triple-G was labelled ‘shelved’, ‘inactive’ and a force that was no more. Back in 2019, his terrific 12-round battle with Sergiy Derevyanchenko may have aged him overnight.

028 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/HBO BOXING

JULY 2022 029

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

SAUL A LVA R E Z

BOXING SOCIAL PICKS:

The head will have to rule the heart. The odds-on price for Canelo is justified and, despite losing last time out to Bivol, he didn’t suffer a beating. It proved to be a reality check more than anything.

A S A LWAY S , P L E A S E REMEMBER TO BET R E S P O N S I B LY.

Golovkin took a while to draw Murata in and had to ship some punishment, something he cannot afford to absorb against the most powerful super-middleweight out there. It will be entertaining while it lasts but I cannot see anything other than a win for the Mexican.

The banker five-star bet is 1/4 on Canelo, but you’d need to bet the house to win any sort of reward. And those odds may yet shorten, too. My four-star bet is a stoppage win for the favourite. The value will still be short, but the price should be odds against at least. Flipping it over and a twostar bet is a Golovkin win inside the distance. His power has already been discussed, he will be more motivated than ever and while Canelo has not suffered many heavy chin-checks he has still had eight fights since their last meeting. A GGG win inside the distance will be tempting and may offer the best value. It’s worth something small.

030 JULY 2022

PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/HBO BOXING

GENNADIY GOLOVKIN

RECORD

57-2-2 (39 KOS)

42-1-1 (37 KOS)

AGE

31

40

STANCE

ORTHODOX

ORTHODOX

NICKNAME

CANELO

GGG

COUNTRY

MEXICO

KAZAKHSTAN

HEIGHT

5FT 8INS

5FT 10½INS

REACH

70½INS

70INS

KO %

63.93%

84.09%

JULY 2022 031

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

GERVONTA DAVIS VS RYAN GARCIA GARRY WHITE CASTS HIS EYE OVER A MUCH-TALKED ABOUT BUT AS YET UNSCHEDULED BATTLE BETWEEN TWO OF THE SPORT’S MOST POPULAR AND ENGAGING FIGHTERS. GERVONTA DAVIS VS RYAN GARCIA FEELS LIKE A MEGA-FIGHT IN THE MAKING SO WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE IF OR WHEN IT BECOMES A REALITY? 032 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM RYAN HAFEY/PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS

JULY 2022 033

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

Well, Gervonta Davis holds the WBA regular 135lbs title, awarded by a sanctioning body riddled with impenetrable complexities. But it’s Devin Haney who owns the organisation’s ‘super’ belt along with the rest of the lightweight division’s baubles following his outclassing of George Kambosos in June. However, this is one of those clashes where titles are not required to sell it, such is the hype surrounding both unbeaten fighters.

Ignoring Jake Paul, Ryan Garcia is the only active nonheavyweight boxer that my teenage kids have ever heard of. ‘King Ry’ is social media royalty with close to nine million followers on Instagram. Brash, confident, easy on the camera, and with hands that move faster than Speedy Gonzalez’s feet he has already been able to use his fistic skills to transcend boxing into a world of internet celebrity. He is in modern parlance: an ‘Influencer’ – God how I hate that word!

Davis is no slouch in the social media stakes either with over three million followers. What’s at stake here is endless bragging rights across the worldwide web, but also the opportunity for either man to position themselves - despite Haney owning all the worthwhile straps - as the top man at 135lbs.

FORM:

Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) was mostly second best to a careful Rolly Romero in May, before abruptly terminating proceedings via a perfect left-hand counter in the sixth round.

Davis remarked post-fight: “The crazy thing is I didn’t even throw it that hard.” This result complemented a unanimous verdict last year over the sturdy Isaac Cruz and a one-sided 11th-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Mario Barrios, where his opponent hit the canvas three times.

Ryan Garcia (22-0, 18 KOs), following a 14-month lay-off to deal with mental health challenges, returned in April with a near shutout points victory over Emmanuel Tagoe. It was the 23-year-old’s first outing since he stopped Britain’s Luke Campbell with a pulverising body shot after being upended in the second round of their encounter in January 2021. Before that, an outclassed Francesco Fonseca entertained Garcia for a mere 80 seconds, before falling to a clinical left hook.

BACKGROUND:

‘Tank’ versus ‘King Ry’ has the feel of a DC comic strip about it. Unfortunately, the boyish high school heartthrob features of Garcia mark him out as the hero in this battle for internet supremacy. It has been widely reported over the past couple of weeks that Garcia had a cheeky $20,000 bet with Errol Spence that Romero would beat Davis in their recent match-up.

THE BIG FIGHT BETTING GUIDE

I don’t tend to take these things seriously, and the cynic in me is certain that the number of social media clicks that Garcia earned would comfortably reimburse him for his injudicious investment.

R YA N GARCIA

G E R V O N TA D AV I S

However, it does point to an ongoing rivalry; either real or confected. But clearly this fight, if and when it happens, is bigger than a slick manipulation of casual fans. It presents a genuinely exciting match-up between two young fighters with perfect records, both armed with a spectacular album of eye-catching knockout victories.

Yet as always with boxing, it’s complicated. Garcia is promoted

by Oscar De La Hoya and has fought exclusively on DAZN whereas Davis has been built up on Showtime. Thus, the barriers to a fight that everyone wants to see - including those who won’t watch another fight this year - are substantial.

The optimist in me hopes that it will present an opportunity for boxing to overcome its political and commercial alliances to finally deliver for the fans. Don’t count on it though! But before any of that Garcia needs to deal with Javier Fortuna on their July 16 date in Los Angeles. If he is to threaten Davis at all then Fortuna should not trouble Garcia unduly.

CURRENT ODDS:

Recent odds had Davis at 1/7 and Garcia at 5/1 to prevail with the Baltimore puncher widely favoured to take care of business inside the distance.

BOXING SOCIAL PICK:

Both fighters have outstanding potential, with Davis on the cusp of most people’s pound-for-pound lists. With an additional three years in the pro game, his resume is undoubtedly the stronger. Yet question marks remain over both fighters, and that’s what makes a potential match-up so fascinating.

RECORD

27-0 (25 KOS)

22-0 (18 KOS)

Garcia comes equipped with fast-handed razzmatazz and answered some questions about his resilience when climbing off the deck against Campbell. Yet his list of victims to date doesn’t stand up to any strong scrutiny.

AGE

27

23

STANCE

SOUTHPAW

ORTHODOX

NICKNAME

TANK

KING RY

COUNTRY

AMERICA

AMERICA

HEIGHT

5FT 5½INS

5FT 10INS

REACH

67½ INS

70INS

KO %

92.59%

81.82%

Davis has made a career out of banging out all-comers, but was recently taken the full 12 rounds by Cruz and stretched on the way to a tighter than expected points decision. Romero was also able to exert control in the early stages of their recent encounter, fighting behind a disciplined jab, before Tank bombed him out with a single shot at the halfway point. Davis’ best win remains a sixth-round KO against a pumped-up Leo Santa Cruz who was severely disadvantaged at the weight.

Power versus movement always makes for an enticing cocktail.

However, we fundamentally know more about what Davis is capable of due to the better-grade company that he has operated in so far. Garcia has liquid movement and hits ferociously to the body, but the real test will come when Davis lands one on the button. Against Campbell, he was able to get up. Against Tank, I am not so sure. I think Garcia needs more time.

If the fight happens this year - and it’s a big if - I’d go in boldly with four stars on Davis to win inside the distance.

034 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM RYAN HAFEY/ PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS

PHOTO FROM TOM HOGAN/ HOGAN PHOTOS/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS JULY 2022 035

THE UPSETTERS

JOHN A. MACDONALD L O O K S AT B O X I N G ’ S MAJOR BETTING UPSETS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND THE STORIES BEHIND T H E M O ST S H O C K I N G OUTCOMES FOR THE BOOKIES. CONTINUES

036 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS

JULY 2022 037

Jeison Rosario (left) surprisingly toppled then 154lbs No.1 Julian Williams (right) in 2020.

CONSERVATIVE ODDS AND RISK-ADVERSE MATCHMAKING IS A PROBLEMATIC COMBINATION FOR BETTORS, AS BOOKMAKERS AND PROMOTERS ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THEY GET THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULT. THANKFULLY, FOR GAMBLERS AND AWAY CORNER FIGHTERS, UPSETS HAPPEN. SOME UNDERDOGS IMMEDIATELY CATCH THE EYE OF SHARPS WHO ERODE THE OPENING LINE WITH SUBSTANTIAL BETS. OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME FIGHTERS THAT FEW APART FROM THEIR OWN TEAM EXPECT TO WIN. MOST OF THE TIME, THOSE BOXERS DO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO – LOSE. HOWEVER, SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR UNFANCIED OPPONENTS SPRING SHOCKING SURPRISES. EACH YEAR, TWITTER USER, AND KEEN BETTOR, @FIGHT_GHOST POSTS A LIST HE COLLATES OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS BY THE ODDS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. IT ALWAYS MAKES FOR FASCINATING READING. THE UPSET OF THE YEAR IN THE EYES OF FANS AND JOURNALISTS RARELY REFLECTS WHO WAS THE LARGEST NUMERICAL UNDERDOG.

HERE ARE THE BIGGEST UPSETS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS BY THE ODDS: CONTINUES 038 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM STEPHANIE TRAPP/TRAPP PHOTOS

JULY 2022 039

2017

2018 3. JAKE BONALIE +1,695 V CRAIG GLOVER 2. DAT NGUYEN +2,000 V MIGUEL FLORES

1. CALEB TRUAX +5,000 (50/1) V JAMES DEGALE

BACKGROUND: After four fights and two-and-a-half years in the US, James DeGale returned to London for the first time as a world champion to make the fourth defence of his IBF supermiddleweight title against Caleb Truax. DeGale had made history by becoming the first British Olympic gold medallist to win a world title as a professional with a unanimous decision against Andre Dirrell, dropping the American twice in the second round. He followed that victory with wins over Lucian Bute and Rogelio Medina before drawing with Badou Jack. Prior to winning the belt, DeGale had a strained relationship with the British public, who often accused the fighter of arrogance.

1. ROBERTO RAMIREZ +4,500 V DEJAN ZLATICANIN

revealed that the American had lost each time he ventured into world class, having previously been defeated by Jermain Taylor, Daniel Jacobs and Anthony Dirrell.

The loss to Dirrell 20 months earlier was particularly damning as Truax was dropped twice before the referee halted the contest in the opening round.

WHAT HAPPENED:

Truax entered the fight with a record of 28-3-2. While the numbers alone looked vaguely impressive, closer scrutiny

The first rounds went according to expectations as DeGale looked sharp. However, in the fifth, ‘Chunky’s’ homecoming quickly became a nightmare. Truax backed the champion into a corner and unleashed a barrage of hooks and uppercuts opening a cut over DeGale’s left eye and damaging his mouth. DeGale valiantly battled back as the rounds flashed by, but rarely threw his right jab, having undergone shoulder surgery earlier in the year.

Truax applied pressure throughout and was able to back his opponent against the ropes frequently. After 12 rounds, Dave Parris scored the fight 114-114, which was overruled by cards of 116-112 and 115-112 in favour of the American.

040 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM ALAMY/PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS

However, during his time fighting on the other side of the Atlantic, the 2008 Beijing Olympian had rehabilitated his reputation with a string of entertaining bouts during which he displayed grit and determination – two qualities UK fans tend to value over talent.

3. HASSAN MWAKINYO +2,875 V SAM EGGINGTON 2. FRANCISCO PATERA +2,875 V LEWIS RITSON

BACKGROUND:

WHAT HAPPENED:

Eighteen months after suffering a brutal knockout defeat against Mikey Garcia, Dejan Zlaticanin was on the comeback trail. Ahead of the bout, the former WBC lightweight champion’s promoter, Lou DiBella, had spoken about his hopes of guiding Zlaticanin back into world title contention. The Montenegrin had previously established himself as one of the best in a 135lbs division, which lacked depth at the time, with wins over Ricky Burns, Ivan Redkach and Petr Petrov and there was no shame in losing to a pound-for-pound talent like Garcia.

Ramirez towered over the former titlist, which was a familiar situation for Zlaticanin to find himself in. However, the southpaw soon discovered that he was in an unusual predicament, his shots were having little effect on Ramirez, while the Mexican’s punches were inflicting damage. Ramirez was able to use Zlaticanin’s aggression against him, walking the former titlist on to uppercuts. Zlaticanin’s world title aspirations were curtailed in the second round as Ramirez dropped the Montenegrin twice, obliging the referee to stop the bout. Zlaticanin sustained a broken nose and jaw in the two-round beatdown.

Ramirez had lost twice to Carlos Ocampo and Abel Ramos previously and was expected to provide little resistance to the Montenegrin buzzsaw. The Mexican had won 17 times, but all against unheralded opposition.

PHOTO FROM ED DILLER/DIBELLA ENTERTAINMENT

CONTINUES

JULY 2022 041

2019

2020 3. DENNIS CONTRERAS +2,500 V FERNANDO GARCIA 2. VACLAV PEJSAR +2,750 V CRAIG GLOVER

1. MATEO DAMIAN VERON +3,000 V LOLENGA MOCK

BACKGROUND:

WHAT HAPPENED:

The 46-year-old Lolenga Mock had been enjoying a peculiar Indian Summer. From 2015 to 2018, the man who once dropped David Haye had won 11 consecutive fights; including victories over two undefeated boxers and Dmitrii Chudinov.

Mock’s unlikely path to a world title shot came to an end when he lost an eliminator for the WBC super-middleweight title to Avni Yildirim, by majority decision, four months previous.

Speed, the attribute which Mock struggled with most throughout his career, plagued him once more. The Argentine had faster hands and feet. The Dane applied plenty of pressure but was forced to endure a frustrating evening, as Veron initiated a clinch every time the home fighter closed the distance. Veron suffered a cut during the final round, but it was too late to impact the outcome.

All three judges scored the bout 78-74 in Veron’s favour.

Veron held a 27-21-3 ledger going in to the bout.

The Argentine had faced a who’s who of his compatriots; including Jorge Sebastian Heiland, Javier Francisco Maciel and Guido Nicholas Pitto. Bizarrely, Veron was chosen to be former two-weight world champion Acelino Freitas’ comeback opponent after the Brazilian returned to the ring after a three-year absence in 2015. Veron accepted his role as journeyman, but was still capable of springing an upset.

042 JULY 2022

3. ED HARRISON +1,400 V MOHAMMAD BILAL ALI 2. JEISON ROSARIO +1,500 V JULIAN WILLIAMS

1. TYSON LANTRY +2,000 V LUKE JACKSON

BACKGROUND:

WHAT HAPPENED:

Jackson had a distinguished amateur career having won a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and captained the Australian boxing team at the London 2012 Olympics. He had never intended to turn professional, but after crashing out of the Olympics in the opening round, his dream changed. Jackson never adapted to the pro ranks as he did to the unpaid code, but had only suffered a single loss, against Carl Frampton in 2018. Lantry was representative of the calibre of opponent Jackson had previously defeated.

Lantry produced an excellent display of switch-hitting and counter-punching. The New South Wales native did his best impression of an Ingle Gym fighter, fighting out of either stance with his gloves held low. Jackson pressured, but the eye-catching work came from the unheralded underdog. Judge Brad Vocale scored the sixrounder 57-57, but John Cauchi and Les Fear gave Lantry the victory with scores of 58-57 and 60-54, respectively.

Lantry entered the fight on the back of consecutive defeats against modest opposition. The outsider had previously held the WBF Australasian lightweight title – for what it’s worth.

PHOTO FROM ALAMY

PHOTO FROM ALAMY

JULY 2022 043

2021 3. SANDOR MARTIN +1,250 V MIKEY GARCIA 2. ALL RIVERA +1,500 V OMAR JUAREZ

1. JAMES MARTIN +1,800 V VITO MIELNICKI JR.

BACKGROUND:

WHAT HAPPENED:

Four-time Junior Golden Gloves champion Mielnicki was highly rated by Premier Boxing Champions. The youngster regularly fought on high-profile cards; such as the rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

Mielnicki entered the bout with a record of 8-0, 5 KOs.

Martin did not read PBC’s script. In the opening round, Martin outworked Mielnicki, burst the prospect’s nose in the second and maintained a good work rate throughout.

Mielnicki had his moments, but Martin had more. Two out of the three judges agreed with that assessment and gave Martin a majority decision over eight rounds.

Martin had gone the six-round scheduled distance with Top Rank’s welterweight prospect Xander Zayas two months earlier. It is likely that PBC felt that Mielnicki could make a statement by defeating Martin more convincingly than his rival.

044 JULY 2022

PHOTO FROM PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS/FOX SPORTS

JULY 2022 045

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! BOXING-SOCIAL.COM

@BOXING.SOCIAL BOXINGSOCIAL

BOXING SOCIAL @BOXING_SOCIAL