Boxing Betting: What Markets are Available?

When it comes to fighting sports, boxing generates a lot more gambling revenue than the likes of MMA. But a lot of the people who are betting on boxing are placing simple bets such as who is going to win the fight.

This can definitely be an exciting thing to bet on, there’s no denying that. It’s especially true when two legends go up against each other and it’s impossible to call which way the fight is going to go, such as in the case of Wilder vs Fury.

So how can we add even more excitement to our boxing betting experience? One certain way is to try betting on different markets outside of simply who is going to win. We’re going to discuss a few of these so that you have a better idea of what’s out there the next time a fight is on and you fancy a bit of a punt.

The round when the knockout will happen

A boxing match can last up to 12 three-minute rounds. But a lot of the time, it doesn’t go the full distance as one of the boxers will be knocked out. A knockout (KO) can be either a physical KO, where the boxer is knocked to the ground and is unable to get up within 10 seconds, or a technical KO, where the referee decides that the boxer is too hurt to continue to fight.

Predicting at what point during the fight either of these events will happen can be an exciting way to bet on boxing. A lot of the time, you’ll probably find yourself betting on a particular boxer in a particular round.

If you know a bit about boxing, you can be tactical here. For example, you might know the history of the boxer you are backing to make the KO. Are they attacking? If so, that KO might come quickly. Do they prefer to sit back and roll with the punches? If so, chances are they’ll go all 12 rounds and win on points.

By taking these things into consideration, you will have a better chance of winning on this particular market.

The number of rounds in the fight

This is slightly different from picking in which round a KO will happen. Instead of backing a particular boxer to win by KO in a particular round, you’re choosing at which point the fight will end for any reason, including disqualifications.

You can bet on a particular round if you want to win a decent percentage of your stake, but a more conservative bet would be to bet on ‘over’ or ‘under’ a number. For example, you could bet on a match lasting under 10 rounds, but the chances are you will not win much money if this does come in. Betting on it going under three rounds would be a much bigger winner.

It’s a bit of a lucky dip to bet in this way but it can be really exciting. Imagine the scenes when you’ve bet on a seven-round match and one of the boxers is on the ropes with 30 seconds to go in that round!

That being said, there are still some skills and tactics that can go into this. If two aggressive fighters are going at it or if one fighter is substantially better than the other, you’ll probably want to put your money on a short match.

How the match will be won

Disqualifications are rare in boxing, but they do happen. The main reason that this would happen would be if a boxer does something that breaks the rules ‒ and there are quite a few rules that can be broken.

Why would you bet on a match ending in a disqualification? If you know that one of the fighters has a history of "playing dirty", you might do so. Some boxers simply lose their temper and behave in a way that gets them disqualified.

You can also bet on a match going the full 12 rounds and being decided on points. This could be a good option if the fight is between evenly matched boxers who tend to be quite defensive in their fighting style. A lot more fights go the distance than some people realise, and the returns here could be very good.

It is also possible to bet on a fight ending in a KO, but chances are that the returns on this option wouldn't be great.