Introduction to Boxing Betting

Professional boxing as we know it would not have been possible without its rich wagering history, which spans over 100 years. Although the overall popularity of professional boxing has been declining over the last

few years, boxing is still a great way for new punters to become acquainted with sports betting, or for experienced punters to diversify their betting arsenal

Big fights are scheduled throughout the year and stats for the major contenders are readily available. Do your homework and get ready for fight night by placing a bet at Viva Macau Sportsbook!

With 68 championship belts up for grabs and hundreds of boxers competing for a shot at the title, you can be sure our lines will have action for you all year round.

Matches are scheduled and champions are recognized by four major sanctioning bodies. Each body has 17 Weight Classes and each weight class has a world champion. Some top fighters may hold a world championship belt in more than one of the bodies, which is called "unifying the title."

For instance, the WBO welterweight champion may also be the IBF welterweight champion. Rarely will a fighter hold a championship belt in all four of the bodies at the same time, so although the media might say one fighter is the undisputed champion in a given weight class, this is rarely a fact, since there is usually at least one other belt holder claiming to be the best.

The sanctioning bodies employ a ranking system used to determine the top fighters in each weight class. Rankings are determined by a fighter's overall record, how he has fought in his last few fights and the caliber of opponents he has faced. Ranking will determine which fighters will be given a shot at the title. Championship fights are usually the most popular, are more likely to be televised, and have the biggest purses.

Title fights come in two flavors, a mandatory title defense or an optional title defense. A mandatory title defense is a match scheduled by the sanctioning body and the champion must participate in these bouts to maintain their status. Often the top ranking boxer will be matched against the current champion, but the sanctioning bodies sometimes pick another boxer from the top five.

In an optional title defense, the champion chooses the opponent. Typically, this is a high ranked opponent or another big name that will draw significant media coverage.

Most boxing events will feature several matches, a featured fight and 2-6 undercards. Featured fights often, but do not necessary, always have a title belt on the line. Two very popular boxers may participate in a non-title match to propel them in the rankings. The winner will, of course, also walk away with a very nice purse.

Most of the major professional boxing fights we offer markets on will have 12 three minute rounds with one minute of rest between each round. All fights will come to an end in one of these seven ways:

• Knockout


• Technical knockout


• Judges decision


• Technical decision


• Disqualification


• Forfeit


• Technical draw


• No contest

Before you begin betting on boxing events at Viva Macau Sportsbook you should review Viva Macau's Sportsbook Rules, which will lay out specific terms of settlement for boxing wagers.

Straight Wagers

The four sanctioning bodies will usually announce boxing markets a few months prior to the event. Matchup wagers, a straight-up bet on one of the fighters to win, are usually made available shortly thereafter. Punters who feel confident a particular fighter will win the fight usually fire away with this betting option. If the fight ends in a draw or technical draw, the wager will be consider a push and your stake is returned.

Exotic Singles

Exotic Singles are usually posted the day of the event. The two most common Exotics you will see on Viva Macau Sportsbook's boxing lines are Over/Unders and 5-Way Fight Outcomes.

An Over/Under is a bet that the total number of rounds in the fight will be higher or lower than the listed number of rounds. The weight class, fighting styles and strengths of the individual fighters will influence the number of rounds you should expect the bout to last.

Taking action on a 5-Way Fight Outcome market places you on one of five possible fight outcomes without consideration of who will win the match. They are:

• Boxer A to win by KO/TKO or Disqualification


• Boxer A to win by Decision/Technical Decision


• Boxer B to win by KO/TKO or Disqualification


• Boxer B to win by Decision/Technical Decision


• Draw

You can expect to see more options on the bigger fights, so be sure to Check our Lines on fight night.

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
- Muhammad Ali

Viva Macau Sportsbook - July 1, 2008

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