“The sweet science”, boxing is a sport of pure courage mixed with skill under pressure. It’s also the sport for pay-per-view spectacles; Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao’s 2015 “Fight of the Century” generated a record 4.6 million PPV buys worth over $400 million. Fans will always pay to watch the best go toe-to-toe, and they’ll savor the chance to bet on the biggest fights too.
Boxing expert and handicapper. Host of The Boxing Betting Show and contributor to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Full bio here.
Two of boxing’s biggest names collide for the third time in what will undoubtedly be one of the richest and most anticipated fights of 2022. Having already shared 24 completed rounds over two epic encounters, the rivalry between Alvarez and Golovkin will go down as one of the finest of its generation.
After years of speculation, the biggest welterweight clash since Mayweather vs Pacquiao looks like it is going to happen. Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will meet to finally settle the debate about who the best 147 pounder in the world is. We have a full preview and pick below.
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 | Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall | O2, London |
| Sep 17 | Canelo Alvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas |
| Sep 23 | Shakur Stevenson vs Robson Conceicao | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey |
| Sep 24 | Leigh Wood vs Mauricio Lara | Nottingham Arena, United Kingdom |
| Sep 24 | Joe Parker vs Joe Joyce | AO Arena, United Kingdom |
| Oct 8 | Chris Eubank Jr vs Connor Benn | The o2, London, United Kingdom |
| Oct 8 | Fundora vs Ocampo | Home Depot Center, United States |
| Oct 15 | Devin Haney vs George Kambosos Jr | Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia |
| Oct 15 | Deontay Wilder vs Robert Helenius | Barclays Center, New York, United States |
| Oct 29 | Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva | Gila River Arena, Phoenix, United States |
| Nov 5 | Dmitry Bivol vs Zurdo Ramirez | Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
To win fight
The simplest bet on boxing that we can make. All we need to do is predict which of the two fighters will be victorious. It doesn’t matter how or when they win, all that counts is that the referee holds aloft our selection’s hand at the end of the fight.
Method of victory
There are several ways in which a bout can be concluded, including knockout, technical knockout and various degrees of points victory. If we think you know how the fight will be decided, we will be able to find boxing betting odds that enable us to back our judgment.
Tyson Fury takes on Deontay Wilder. © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Round betting
When we want to take part in online boxing betting, this is one of the most intriguing markets. Can we name the round in which the fight will be over? If we have worked out, based on the form and styles of the fighters, in which round it will end, here’s where to bet.
Round group betting
Maybe we think that we have an idea of roughly how long the bout will last, but can’t decide exactly in which round it will finish. We will be able to find boxing odds covering groups of rounds, usually three in each, which cover that portion of the fight.
When will fight end
This market is closely related to round betting, but also includes the option for the fight to be decided on points. We don’t have to nominate a winner but we will have to decide whether we think the fight will be won in a particular round or go to the judges decision.
Terence Crawford vs Amir Khan action shot. Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports
When will fight end group betting
This is another variation on the opportunity for round betting. This set of boxing odds invites us to decide when the fight will end – but it includes the option of the decision going to points and also includes groups of rounds instead of a specific round.
Total rounds
When we have a strong feeling about how long a fight will last, this could be one of our best boxing bets. It’s an over/under market; the sportsbook sets a number of rounds. If we think the fight will be over sooner, we go “under”, if we think it will last longer we go “over”.
Fight to go the distance
This is one of the simpler ways to bet on boxing. Do we think the fight will last the full number of scheduled rounds, or not? The sportsbook will offer a set of odds for each option and we can then place our wager according to our judgment.
Boxing sportsbooks will always present their odds in the same format. When it comes to boxing betting odds, the favorite in the fight is represented by the minus sign (-), while the less favored fighter, or underdog, is represented by the plus sign (+). Similar to other sports, boxing odds are normally formed around bettors wagering $100.
After studying boxing odds, bettors can chose fighter A, or fighter B to win the bout. This is known as moneyline betting. For example, if you backed Anthony Joshua to win a fight against Tyson Fury at odds of +110, a $100 bet on that selection would return $110 on top of your stake.
Heavyweight
A fight for the heavyweight championship of the world is the most enthralling occasion in the whole of boxing. Some of the greatest sportsmen of all time, such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey, are immortal legends who were proud wearers of the heavyweight crown. In the current era, fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are household names with huge followings. This division will always have a special allure among seasoned bettors and casual fans alike, who love the challenge of picking a winner when the biggest fighters get ready to rumble.
Cruiserweight
Cruiserweight is the division just below heavyweight. Some fighters, such as Evander Holyfield, who were on their way to building up to that division, were supreme at cruiserweight. Heavyweight fighters of a former age, such as Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis, fought at weights that would now see them defined as cruiserweights. However, cruiserweight is a premier division in its own right. Mairis Briedis of Latvia is currently the top-ranked boxer at this weight, having held three versions of the world championship. Ilunga Makabu of Congo and France’s Arsen Goulamirian are also current world champions at cruiserweight who attract serious betting action when they step into the ring.
Middleweight
This is the division for men who are lighter than light-heavyweights. Current champions such as Canelo Álvarez of Mexico, Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin and Demetrius Andrade of the US make this an enduringly compelling division. There is a glamor about the middleweight and super-middleweight divisions that make them extremely popular among fight fans and those who love to bet on boxing. It comes from some of the greatest names in the history of the sport fighting at this weight and packing a serious punch. Men like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and Marvelous Marvin Hagler fought in a golden age of middleweights – and some stepped up to the super-middleweight division too.
Saul Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin in action. © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Welterweight
Between lightweight and middleweight is where you’ll find welterweight – and a division that boasts some of the most iconic names in boxing. The legendary Sugar Ray Robinson adorns its roll of honor, as does the undefeated (50-0) Floyd Mayweather. Manny Pacquiao, winner of 12 world titles at various weights for different bodies, is a legend the world over. The 2015 "Fight of the Century" between Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao set a pay-per-view record with 4.6 million PPV buys worth over $400 million. Errol Spence Jr. of the US is currently unified holder of the WBC and IBF titles, while his compatriot Terence Crawford is also highly regarded. Welterweight championship bouts capture the imagination and generate impressive numbers of boxing bets.
Lightweight
Some of the finest boxers of all time plied their trade at lightweight. They include Benny Leonard, the pre-war US fighter hailed by some experts as the best boxer of all time. Roberto Duran began his domination of four different weight divisions with a power-packed reign as lightweight world champion. Lightweight fights still command huge attention and large amounts of boxing betting interest. Teófimo López of the US tops the current rankings and holds three of the four world titles. His compatriot Devin Haney and the Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko also command huge respect in this division.
Ukrainian lightweight Vasyl Lomachenko in action. © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Featherweight
The word “feather” in the name of this division implies something light and insubstantial. Yet featherweights have been among the most fearsome punchers in boxing. Men like Naseem Hamed, Eusebio Pedroza and Barry McGuigan were ferocious opponents in the ring and their exploits are still celebrated today. At the top of the current featherweight tree is Gary Russell Jr., the American who has held the WBC world title since 2015. Josh Warrington of the UK holds the IBF crown and is very highly regarded, as is Xu Can, the Chinese fighter. When these men fight, the world watches – and it enjoys visiting boxing betting sites to add to the excitement.
Bantamweight
This is the class for some of the smallest boxers in the sport – but the best bantamweights have a power that belies their physique. Naoya Inoue, the Japanese fighter who is currently the world’s top ranked bantamweight, is known for the ferocity of his punching. It has brought him world titles at three weights, and he is presently the IBF champ and the WBA super-bantamweight holder. Nordine Oubaali of France and the Filipino Johnriel Casimero are right behind him at the top of the rankings. Many fans of the sport at all levels enjoy seeking out boxing odds for the major bantamweight showdowns.
The concept of a lineal champion traces a current title holder back to the origins of organized boxing, when there was only one champ in each division. Because various sanctioning bodies have been launched since, there can be multiple holders. But a lineal champion can trace his title back down the years.
Any boxer who holds world titles sanctioned by more than one governing body at the same time and in the same weight class is regarded as a unified champion. Given the way boxing has been fragmented since the emergence of the new bodies, this is a rarer feat than it used to be.
Only a fighter who holds all the versions of the world title at a particular weight class at one time can call himself an undisputed champion. The existence of four organizations that sanction bouts means this is now highly unusual – Lennox Lewis was the last undisputed heavyweight champ in 1999-2000.
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) was founded in 1983 as a rival to the WBA and WBC. In the following year, it recognized world champions already crowned by the other organizations. It has since certified men’s world champions in 17 classes and women’s in 15.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) is the oldest of the four bodies that sanction professional boxing. As a result, it is effectively seen as the original governing body of boxing. It has added to the complexity of the championship scene in recent years by recognizing more than one title-holder in any weight class.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is the most recent of the four bodies that sanction world title bouts. It was set up in 1988 after a dispute at the WBA’s annual convention. It took a while to establish its credibility but champions like Chris Eubank, Johnny Tapia and Naseem Hamed brought respect to the WBO in the 1990s.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is the second oldest sanctioning body, having been set up in 1964. It has recognized some of the greatest names in the sport as world champions. Tyson Fury, one of the biggest names in the sport, is the current WBC heavyweight champion, while Errol Spence Jr. and Canelo Álvarez both hold WBC titles.
Just because the first bell has rung and the fighters have come out swinging, that doesn’t mean the betting has to stop.
Modern sportsbooks can update their boxing betting instantly and allow bettors to keep wagering as the action unfolds.
This means that, even if we think that Anthony Joshua has lost the first round in a fight against Tyson Fury, we can still bet on him to win the bout.
Most boxing betting sites also offer in-play wagering on other markets such as the length of the fight and the way in which it will end.
| Ranking | Name | Nationality | Record | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naoya Inoue | JPN | 23-0-0 (20) | Bantamweight |
| 2 | Oleksandr Usyk | UKR | 19-0-0 (13) | Heavyweight |
| 3 | Terence Crawford | USA | 37-0-0 (28) | Welterweight |
| 4 | Errol Spence Jr. | USA | 27-0-0 (21) | Welterweight |
| 5 | Saul Alvarez * | MEX | 57-2-2 (39) | Super Middleweight |
| 6 | Tyson Fury * | ENG | 32-0-1 (23) | Heavyweight |
| 7 | Roman Gonzalez | NIC | 51-3-0 (41) | Jr. Bantamweight |
| 8 | Dmitry Bivol | RUS | 20-0-0 (11) | Light Heavyweight |
| 9 | Jermell Charlo | USA | 35-1-1 (19) | Jr. Middleweight |
| 10 | Artur Beterbiev | CAN | 18-0-0 (18) | Light Heavyweight |
Here's the very latest pound for pound list according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Images courtesy of: © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, © Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports, © Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports, © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports, © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, © Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times, © Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports, © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports, © Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports
