When you have a favorite boxing team or individual to bet on, you probably say, “If I bet on him, I’m sure I’m going to make some serious money.” As a matter of fact, that usually happens with the most popular heavyweight championship boxers or the newly crowned and unified ones.
Is boxing betting upset that big of a deal? Well, let’s take a look at where some of the most popular rankings lie based on the favorite pre-fight boxing odds.
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Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson
One boxing tournament that is often forgotten is the great heavyweight championship between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson in 1996. Holyfield demolished Tyson completely when he stood fearlessly at the centre of the ring and outpunched Tyson with several blows. Tyson tried to punch back, but he was outmuscled over 11 rounds, which gave Holyfield the winning score. Both the boxers had made major comebacks in the ring,Tyson having annihilated four of his opponents after coming back from prison on rape accusations. On the other hand, Holyfield recorded a 2-2 comeback after fighting and losing against Riddick Bowe one year earlier. The odds listed Tyson as a -2500 favorite, which made many fans afraid for Holyfield at the time. I guess the ending was quite contrary to the expectations of many.
Mike Tyson and James “Buster” Douglas
The odds placed Mike Tyson high up on the list as a -4200 favourite against James Douglas. Tyson was predictably undefeatable at the time, considering that he had succeeded through great heavyweight championships in the 1980s. Tyson was practically and virtually the best high-reel boxer with 37 professional prizefights, redefining his skills as a knockout machine. He became a savage world champion consecutively until his wits were tested when Douglas knocked him out in the 10th round in 1990. This particular tournament was a 1/42 betting favorite, which seemed like the surest win among many fans in boxing history. I mean, Douglas had four major losses in his profession, which made Tyson the best in the ring. The two players boxed even during the first nine rounds before Douglas famously unleashed a vicious knockout that caused Tyson’s demise in the 10th round.
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
For a good backstory, Foreman annihilated Ken Norton and Joe Frazier in the first two rounds, destroying the only two men who had ever defeated Muhammad Ali. Foreman entered the ring with a -700 favorite betting rank in 1974. Because the odds were stacked against him, Ali redefined his legacy by defeating the much-loved Foreman with what he calls the “rope-a-dope” strategy. He made Foreman miss his kitchen sink throw and stopped him in the eighth and countered to secure the greatest win.
These were one of the most thrilling bets ever placed on the nature of boxing that went haywire. It is typical for someone to put their entire trust in a piece of the action by betting on what they believe will be the greatest fight and a major win. This upset demonstrated one of the most insane times for great boxers like Mike Tyson and George Foreman as their performances did not meet the great wagers placed on their matches.
