Difficulties of Boxing Betting That Many Punters Aren’t Aware of and How to Overcome Them

On the surface, very few sports are as simple to bet as boxing, with two fighters putting it all on the line, to knock each other out. Once upon a time, it was the boxing halls in the UK, Ireland and beyond that pitted two warriors against one another – with pounds and shillings placed on simply the outcome of the battle.

However, as the sport of boxing has developed, alongside the sports betting industry, the number of different markets available to boxing betting enthusiasts has boomed exponentially in recent times. There are a plethora of UK boxing betting sites, making boxing betting more accessible than ever before but as with betting on any sport, there are plenty of difficulties boxing punters need to overcome.

In the professional age of boxing, with huge fights taking place all over the world, the financial implications of any boxing bout stretch far and wide. As a result, there are plenty of accompanying betting markets surrounding boxing that of course provide opportunity to punters but at the same time, they can be difficult to overcome when betting on boxing.

Here is a rundown of some of the main difficulties of boxing betting that many punters aren’t aware of and some tips as to how to overcome them:

Market Saturation

All boxing events are big business, with the likes of the O2 Arena in London and the equivalent in Dublin hosting some of the biggest events in British boxing. In a conscious effort to keep the fans and viewers happy, most boxing events are comprised of a packed undercard of bouts, with the headline fight concluding the evenings’ entertainment.

Each boxing event presents a huge number of fights and accompanying markets for punters to exploit, which is something that can often catch out those who are betting on boxing. Players looking for value can often get caught out when trying to chase wins on a big boxing card but can often be caught out by one result. Making any boxing accumulator a risky punt – regardless of a punter’s betting aspiration.

In addition, the very nature of boxing – in that it is often a straight win bet in the initial market, with 2 players simply looking to beat each other – means that fighters can become pragmatic when engrossed in the action. Meaning that even if a fighter is in control of the fight, they are unlikely to chase an eye-catching knockout win, if they are confident that they will win the fight on points, in the minds of the judges.

Solution: One of the ways to overcome this issue for punters is to be patient when boxing betting. Simply betting on a fight, just because it is on a card, is not always the way to go. Being selective when betting on a fight and avoiding the temptation to place a bet on it through convenience is key when betting on boxing in the UK and Ireland.

Big Fight Bias

Inevitably, the biggest fights that garner attention in the UK and Ireland tend to centre around the very best names in the game. The likes of Tyson Fury and Katie Taylor are huge headline acts in the sport and their fights attract audiences from all over the world.

With so much concentrated attention on just a handful of fights, all bookmakers and sportsbooks will look to protect their interests on big fights, when invariably most favourites do prevail in the biggest events.

Backing the likes of the aforementioned Fury or Taylor to be knocked out may look tempting on paper with attractive odds, but they are very unlikely bets to come to fruition. With billions of dollars at stake in most of the big fights, there is so much on the line for fighters, promoters, and their respective camps in every single fight.

Consequently, when the two fighters step into the ring, they can often be overwhelmed by the occasion and self-preservation often prevails over the need to put on a performance or win the fight. Big fights are often cagey affairs, with favourites coming out on top thanks to their higher skill level or overall fitness capabilities.

Solution: Smaller name, less reputable fights often bring about more unpredictable results but often yield different outcomes in fights – bringing the knockout market into play, making the big fight bias an important difficulty for punters to avoid when it comes to boxing betting.

In-Play Boxing

Few sports are as unpredictable as boxing, with the ability to knock each other out hugely appealing to the viewing public. That’s why in case of regular pre-match betting it may be hard to make a correct prediction. 

Solution: As a result, many punters are attracted to betting on boxing as the action unfolds. In-play boxing betting can be lucrative but can also present pitfalls for punters, making it a potentially risky vocation, especially on big name fights.