Guide to Boxing Betting
While boxing might seem like nothing more than two fighters trading punches to most people, this sport is far more technical and strategic. This is one of the main reasons why betting on boxing has become so popular around the globe.
Unlike many other sports, boxing doesn’t have a single global governing body. Each country, even some states, has its own regulations. Professional boxing bouts have between 4 and 12 rounds, each 3 minutes long for men, and two minutes for women.
Thanks to the rise of online boxing betting, fans have easier access to the rules for each fight and can analyse crucial data through trusted boxing betting sites, making the experience even more exciting. In this guide, we will break down the rules, the most important betting markets, and the strategies you need to know before setting foot into the world of bet on boxing fights.
Best Boxing Betting Sites
Online boxing betting sites have grown rapidly over the past few decades, turning the sport into one of the most popular options for sports bettors worldwide. With major fights drawing global attention, fans now look for the best online boxing betting sites for competitive odds and exclusive promotions.
While there is no shortage of options at all, choosing the best place to bet on boxing is crucial if you want excitement, value and security for your wagers. So, here we have some of the most beloved boxing betting sites by users.
- Attractive sports & casino bonuses
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There are many good online sportsbooks for Boxing out there that are safe to use and bet with, but there are also quite a few unsafe operators.
Victory Methods
A bout ends when it lasts for the scheduled amount of rounds, and the scoring officials decide the winner.
Sometimes, conditions result in a draw. All three judges might award identical scores to both boxers. If two out of three judges awarded the opponents equal scores, the bout would end in a draw regardless of the third’s score.
KnockoutBouts end in a knockout if a boxer is knocked down and can’t get up within a 10-second count. In exceptional circumstances, a referee can choose to complete a match earlier if a fighter gets injured.
Fights sometimes end due to a technical knockout, which is when a referee or a ringside doctor deems a boxer unable to defend themselves properly or has a severe injury. Fighters can also call for a technical knockout themselves if they don’t think they can continue the fight.
When the ringside physician decides the boxer can’t continue the bout safely, the referee needs to stop the fight. If the referee decides that the opponent punched the boxer to cause the cut, the opponent wins by technical knockout.
Only referees can decide if a boxer caused a cut by punching or headbutting their opponent. If one of the boxers gets a cut on their head, the referee will take them to the ringside doctor when needed, regardless of whether it was because of a punch or not. Referee decisions occur during technical knockouts and technical decisions, and they end the round. Sometimes, there is no winner with a referee decision.
Technical decisions refer to when a boxing bout needs to stop because a boxer has headbutted their opponent. Most headbutts are not intentional, and they usually happen when the fight is close range.
If a fighter headbutts their opponent intentionally, they get a foul that might completely disqualify them. Technical decisions happen similarly to technical knockouts, where the doctor informs the referee that a boxer is too injured to continue the bout.
If the referee thinks the injured boxer’s opponent caused the cut by an unintentional headbutt, the match ends. The ringside judges hand over their scorecards, and whichever boxer has more points at that point wins by technical decision. Fights need to go beyond the fourth round or the halfway point for either boxer to win by technical default. If a fight stops because of a headbutt before the boxers finish the required amount of rounds for a technical decision, the referee declares a technical draw.
Sometimes, bouts are no contest bouts because of an early and inconclusive end, such as if one of the participants is unwilling or unable to continue because of a cut or when the participants’ heads clash. Disqualifications happen when judges stop a bout, usually when one of the boxers breaks a rule. Disqualified boxers lose by default, but if both fighters get disqualified, the result is no contest. Usually, disqualifications happen when boxers repeatedly foul, like when they headbutt, deliver low blows or rabbit punches, or bite their opponent. Referees typically warn offenders out loud, or they deduct a point.
If the boxer does something particularly bad, like kicking their opponent when they’re down or pulling hair, referees will disqualify the opponent without a verbal warning. Referees can also disqualify a boxer if cornermen enter the ring or hit the opponent, even though that behaviour isn’t under the boxer’s control.
If a boxer isn’t fighting or is excessively holding, referees can also disqualify them.
Disqualifications happen only at the referee’s discretion, and fouling does not automatically disqualify a boxer.
Boxing Weight Divisions
Weight class divisions are fundamental to keep boxers safe. Size mismatches are dangerous for smaller fighters, and they are unsatisfying for audience members. There’s a lot of classes, and they vary sometimes depending on the federation governing the bout.
| Weight Class | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | BoxRec |
| Heavyweight | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bridgerweight | – | 224 lbs | – | – | – |
| Cruiserweight | 220 lbs | 220 lbs | 220 lbs | 220 lbs | 220 lbs |
| Light Heavyweight | 175 lbs | 175 lbs | 175 lbs | 175 lbs | 175 lbs |
| Super Middleweight | 168 lbs | 168 lbs | 168 lbs | 168 lbs | 168 lbs |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs | 160 lbs | 160 lbs | 160 lbs | 160 lbs |
| Super Welterweight / Junior Middleweight | 154 lbs | 154 lbs | 154 lbs | 154 lbs | 154 lbs |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs | 147 lbs | 147 lbs | 147 lbs | 147 lbs |
| Super Lightweight / Junior Welterweight | 140 lbs | 140 lbs | 140 lbs | 140 lbs | 140 lbs |
| Lightweight | 135 lbs | 135 lbs | 135 lbs | 135 lbs | 135 lbs |
| Super Featherweight / Junior Lightweight | 130 lbs | 130 lbs | 130 lbs | 130 lbs | 130 lbs |
| Featherweight | 126 lbs | 126 lbs | 126 lbs | 126 lbs | 126 lbs |
| Super Bantamweight / Junior Featherweight | 122 lbs | 122 lbs | 122 lbs | 122 lbs | 122 lbs |
| Bantamweight | 118 lbs | 118 lbs | 118 lbs | 118 lbs | 118 lbs |
| Super Flyweight / Junior Bantamweight | 115 lbs | 115 lbs | 115 lbs | 115 lbs | 115 lbs |
| Flyweight | 112 lbs | 112 lbs | 112 lbs | 112 lbs | 112 lbs |
| Light Flyweight / Junior Flyweight | 108 lbs | 108 lbs | 108 lbs | 108 lbs | 108 lbs |
| Minimumweight / Mini Flyweight / Strawweight | 105 lbs | 105 lbs | 105 lbs | 105 lbs | 105 lbs |
| Light Minimumweight / Atomweight | 102 lbs | 102 lbs | 102 lbs | 102 lbs | – |
In amateur boxing, the weight classes work a little differently. There aren’t any federations involved, so they’re a little more streamlined. There are three different categories: men, women, and junior. However, amateur bouts are often unavailable for betting, since most sportsbooks focus solely on the professional divisions.
Most Popular Betting Markets
Although there are a few other betting markets that you might consider, these are the most popular ones you’re most likely to see.
- Fight Winner –This particular method is relatively straightforward. Boxing betting relies on money lines for wagering, as most other sports do. Each boxer has different odds for the fight, and the boxing betting odds vary depending on who they’re fighting. If a fighter has odds in the negatives, it means that one is the most likely to win. If a fighter has -200 odds, you’ll need to bet at least $200 to win $100. If the other boxer has odds of +150, you need to wager $100 to win $150. Keep in mind that although bookkeepers list boxing betting lines odds in terms of $100, you don’t need to bet in increments of $100.
- Total rounds –With total round betting, you’re most likely going to bet on how many rounds a match has. This can happen in a few different ways. You can choose exactly which round will be the last one, or you can bet on whether the match will go over or under a certain amount of rounds. Usually, this is called round betting, and there are a few ways you can go about it.
- Round betting –Basic round bets are simple, and all you’re betting on is which will be the last round and finish the match. Round betting boxing is sometimes more complicated than choosing which boxer will win because there are more opportunities for you to be wrong. However, because it’s riskier for the bettor, it just means that the odds are more likely to be better. The basics of mastering round betting are pretty straightforward. If the two boxers are evenly matched, they’ll probably fight longer. If you’re participating in a round where there’s a clear favourite to win, then you should pick an earlier round.
- Round group betting –Round group betting is similar to round betting, but it’s actually easier to win. For boxing matches, the rounds are each part of different groups, allowing bettors to bet on groups of rounds to be the last ones. Instead of betting on a single round to be the last one for the match, you’re betting on several at once. It’s the best option if you’re positive the match will end quickly but aren’t sure which round will be the last.
- Method of victory –Method of victory bets are perfect if you’re confident about which boxer will win and how. Depending on the odds, you can choose to bet on how the victor will win the round or if a boxer will do certain things, like knockout the other. The various victories you can bet on are knockouts, points, and draws.
- On what round will the fight end? –This is similar to round betting and round group betting. The rounds that different fights end on vary from fight to fight, but you can make an educated guess on which one will be the last and bet on that one.
- When will the fight end? –If you want to, you can bet on when the fight will end for a boxing match. This can be after a certain time in a specific bout, or you can bet on which round, or group of rounds, will be the last one. You can also make an over/under bet, deciding on whether the fight will end after or before a particular round.
Why Bet on Boxing?
People have bet on boxing matches for a very long time. Boxing and betting work well together because betting just adds more thrill to something already exciting. You’re also wagering on a specific athlete instead of an entire team, which only adds excitement.
It’s possible to be successful with sports betting boxing, but the biggest pro for participating is simply to have fun. It’s a great way of delving deeper into the sport and learning more about it, but it can be dangerous if you spend too much of your money on it. Even if you win a lot, there’s always a chance that you could lose what you’ve made. It’s risky, but if you make safe bets, you can get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
What is the Best Boxing Strategy?
You should always take your time to familiarize yourself with the boxers in the matches you bet on. Make sure that you understand how they fight and their techniques before you place any bets.
Keep an eye on the physical aspects and fitness of the boxers, too, because that can play a huge role in which fighter wins and how they win. Keep in mind that their recent form is not the key to their success no matter what. Unexpected things can happen.
Boxing Facts and History
Boxing has a long history in both formal events, such as the Olympics, and much less formal events depicted in ancient Sumerian carvings.
Sculptures and art from Egypt in 1350 BC show both boxers and audience members, while Middle Eastern depictions of the sports show bare-fisted boxers, occasionally depicted with a band to support the boxer’s wrist.
The earliest evidence of boxing gloves or other hand coverings come from Minoan Crete, around 1500 BC.
In Britain, during the late 1600s, people held illegal boxing contests, and boxers fought for money and side bets. Fans wagered on the outcomes, meaning that boxing and betting coexisted for a very long time. There weren’t any weight divisions during this time, and boxers fought without gloves and sometimes even without rules.
Lighter men were at a disadvantage, and although rounds existed, boxers fought until one of them couldn’t keep going. In these matches, rules allowed for wrestling, and fighters commonly fell on top of their opponents after knocking them down. Until the middle of the 1700s, boxers could also hit their opponents after they were down.
Eventually, a group called the British Pugilists’ Protective Association put the London Prize Ring rules into effect in 1838, a set of rules that governed boxers throughout Britain and the United States.
These rules regulated a 24-foot ring bound by ropes. When a boxer knocked the other to the ground, the rules stated that the round ended, and the referee helped the knocked-out fighter to their corner.
The next round began thirty seconds later, and each boxer needed to reach the mark in the centre of the ring without help. If one of them couldn’t reach the mark after eight extra seconds, that boxer lost.
The London Prize Ring rules also declared that kicking, gouging, headbutting, low blows, and biting were fouls.
In 1867, the Amateur Athletic Club created the Queensberry Rules, which emphasized technique and boxing skill. These rules also specified a ten-second rule for boxers to get back up without help (knockouts), rounds were three minutes long with a minute of rest in between, boxers needed to wear padded gloves, and wrestling was illegal.
The first classifications of weight divisions happened during this time.
The Queensberry Rules are the reason that boxing lost popularity in Britain and gained it in America. British people associated boxing with drinking and gambling, and large fights often happened among spectators.
On the other hand, Americans loved the energy that came with boxing. The sport was even illegal in Britain and became illegal in some states in America. During World War I, though, boxing was used as a training tool, and Americans began associating champions with American resolve.
Due to this, boxing started becoming more and more popular among the people, so states decided to regulate the sport instead of outright banning it.
Conclusion
Boxing has a long and detailed history, especially with betting. It’s an incredibly popular sport, and the reason it exists and isn’t illegal is because of how much everyday people loved it.
Lawmakers tried to make it illegal, but it still gained popularity. People even associate champions with power and revelry.
The addition of weight classes was a good call because they protect the boxers as they fight, even if the divisions aren’t consistent across all rules and federations. Fighters can get severely injured very quickly, and it’s the referee’s job to make sure that they’re as safe as possible.
Due to the joint history between boxing and betting, it’s great to know that the tradition still exists today. It’s even adapted to the Internet!
FAQs
How can I bet money on a boxing match?
There are a few things you can bet on when it comes to boxing. For starters, make sure that it’s legal to place online bets for sports in your state. When you place a bet on boxing, you can wager on either boxer to win or lose, and in some cases, you can bet on the bout finishing in a draw.
What does +200 mean in boxing?
In boxing, +200 means if you bet $100, you’ll win $200 profit if your fighter wins. The “+” shows the underdog, while a “-” indicates the favourite.
What to bet on for boxing?
Round betting lets you predict the exact round or group of rounds when a fight will end. For instance, you bet a knockout will happen in Round 5 or the Round 5-6 interval.
How to place a bet in boxing?
Some of the most popular markets include the fight winner, method of victory (KO, TKO, decision), and total rounds. You can also review the in-play options since there are many enjoyable options there, too.
How do betting rounds work?
Register at a licensed sportsbook, head to the boxing section, browse the odds, and select your market. Then enter your stake, confirm the bet, and you’re set.
Where to go to bet on boxing?
The best place to bet on boxing is through trusted and licensed sportsbooks that offer many betting opportunities, secure payments and competitive odds.
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