Things to bear in mind before
betting on women’s boxing
In the space of less than a couple of decades, women’s boxing
has come from being a controversial minority sport to being one
which, in many ways, is more respected than the men’s version.
It’s not all that long ago that the best-known female fighter
was
Laila Ali, and at the time she was - unfairly - better known
for being the daughter of probably the greatest male boxer ever.
In the present day, boxing still has its (often huge) issues
with misogyny but, against the odds, it’s probably one of the
more egalitarian sports when it comes to publicity and fight
cards.
This advance in the reputation of women’s boxing has also been
reflected in the opportunity to bet on fights, with female bouts
attracting plenty of money. If you’ve considered putting money
on a fight, then it’s worth taking into account a few of the
ways in which, while being on a par with men’s boxing, the game
is different when it comes to betting.
More fights are decided on points
Although the best male boxers are almost exclusively the ones
who fight tactically, men’s bouts do still end up in knockouts
or TKOs quite often. There are a few possible reasons for this,
one of which is the bigger part that brute force and aggression
play. This can create the impression that a long price on the KO
at
betting sites not on gamstop is one worth taking. It is worth
remembering, though, that women’s boxing rounds tend to be two
minutes long compared to the three-minute rounds in men’s
fights. In addition, women’s fights are more skill-based, so
what looks like a good KO price may not be so great after all.
Also, points decisions favor the champ
There is a definitive advantage to being the champ in any form
of combat sport. If the match is called a draw, you retain the
title. But even getting a draw is tough for the challenger if
the bout goes the distance. For a number of reasons, judges’
decisions tend to bias toward the champ, and the challenger
needs to do a lot more to overcome that tendency. If a bout
looks like it’s going to be close, it’s usually worth favoring
the title holder when you bet - the burden of performance on the
challenger is just that heavy.
Shocks are less common in the women’s game
There has been no shortage of shock outcomes in men’s boxing -
and indeed in MMA, where a seemingly unbeatable fighter ends up
being dumped by an underdog. Much though we want to lean away
from stereotyping, there is a reason for this. A successful male
boxer will quickly become financially comfortable, and can
quickly lose their hunger. Also, the bravado that pervades men’s
boxing often leads fighters to adopt lavish lifestyles that do
nothing for their sharpness in the ring. Partly due to smaller
purses, and partly for cultural reasons, female fighters are
less prone to this, so backing the underdog is a less profitable
strategy.
Bet on live fights where you can
There are few sports where in-play betting can work for you
quite as much as it does in boxing, and this is certainly true
of the women’s branch of the sport. There is a lot you can tell
from the first bell in a big bout, and if you are observant you
can make some clever on-the-spot bets. Watch how the fighters
move: are they tentative where they’d normally be aggressive?
Are they swinging and missing? Is the underdog making an
impression early on?
The early rounds of a fight can play a huge part in how it plays
out. A boxer who is swinging wildly may be unprepared and prone
to a knockout punch. A fighter winning the early rounds can make
an impression on the judges that colors their perception of the
entire fight (even if their opponent starts hitting back). Much
of the pre-match betting can often be driven by what the
fighters say as much as what they do. Once they’re in the ring,
it’s a different story, and this is when smarter fight fans can
pick up a few useful pointers.
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