Betting the bout: The best boxing tournaments for savvy punters

Boxing is a globally acclaimed sport, with fans anticipating matches from across the globe. The intense drama and fast-paced nature of this elite-level combat sport result in high-stakes bouts, and many boxing tournaments are held each year to provide the best boxing action for fans and punters alike. 

If you’re asking ‘What are the top boxing tournaments to bet on?’, you’re in the right place because here are the top boxing tournaments where you can place your wagers:

Key Takeaways

• In boxing, the four major sanctioning bodies are the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Council (WBC), the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and the World Boxing Organisation (WBO). They are also called the ‘Big Four’, producing top-level bouts.
• Apart from the ‘big four’, the Olympics boxing is one of the most anticipated boxing events in the world, presenting intense boxing actions, drama, and undeniable skills.
• Some of the most notable world champions in boxing are Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Mike Tyson who have dominated WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC world championship titles.

World Boxing Association (WBA)

The World Boxing Association (WBA) is the oldest of the major sanctioning bodies, dating back to 1921. It sanctions world championship fights and titles across various weight classes for male and female boxers. The WBA has faced criticism for having multiple world championships per weight class, which confuses many.
 

Nevertheless, the WBA continues to attract highly awaited top-level boxing matches that draw interest from supporters worldwide. It has crowned numerous world boxing champions that the world may know, such as Julio César Chávez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao.

WBA iconic matches

The WBA has hosted tons of iconic boxing matches throughout history. Some of these are:

• Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (1971): Dubbed the ‘Fight of the Century’, this undisputed heavyweight championship match was the first of the three epic battles between Ali and Frazier. The latter won via unanimous decision.
• Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis I (1999): A controversial fight between the two dominant fighters of their era for the undisputed heavyweight championship. The split draw caused commotion, with many believing that one fighter had done enough to win the match. Two years later, the two met again, and Lewis won via unanimous decision.
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao (2015): This highly anticipated match is also referred to as the 'Fight of the Century' or the 'Battle for Greatness'. It featured the undefeated five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather won the match by unanimous decision.

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World Boxing Council (WBC)

The World Boxing Council (WBC) is one of the four major sanctioning bodies in the world, along with the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). It was founded in 1963 and was first established by 11 countries, but has since grown to include 161 member countries.

The WBC is also known for its high-profile title fights. What makes WBC different is that its title belts often look the same regardless of the weight class. Some of the most known WBC world champions over the years have included iconic figures such as Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Durán, and Pancho Villa.

WBC iconic matches

Some of the most iconic matches that WBC have hosted are:

• George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali (1974): Also known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ with young champion George Foreman and the veteran legendary Muhammad Ali in the ring. This classic matchup is the greatest upset in history as Ali was able to win via knockout against the then-undefeated Foreman.
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns (1981): Known as 'The Showdown,' it was regarded as one of the greatest fights in boxing history. The match was for the WBC welterweight title and featured two dominant fighters in an action-packed, back-and-forth battle showcasing their contrasting skills. In the end, Leonard won the fight via TKO.
• Mike Tyson vs. James Smith (1987): Billed as the ‘Super Fight’, the match saw the veteran James ‘Bonesrusher’ Smith against the young Mike Tyson. With his prowess, Tyson won via unanimous decision and became an undisputed heavyweight champion.

International Boxing Federation (IBF)

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is also one of the ‘big four’ sanctioning bodies, established in 1983. Apart from hosting top-level fights, the IBF also becomes an avenue for small promoters and young fighters to showcase their skills and talent on the world stage. The IBF also sanctions world titles on various weight classes for men and women.

It has produced a multitude of boxing world champions over the years, including Larry Holmes, Hasim Rahman, Chad Dawson, and Paul Williams. Notably, the championship belts for the IBF are distinctively coloured, with the men's world championship belts being red and the women's world championship belts being light blue.

IBF iconic matches

The IBF has hosted high-profile bouts that have gone down the history, which include:

• Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowie II (1993): The second of their trilogy fights, known as the 'Repeat or Revenge'. Bowe was able to defeat Holyfield in their first fight, but his title of being an undisputed champion would be broken by this fight as Holyfield defeated him via majority decision.
• Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad (2001): A middleweight title fight known as the 'And Then There Was One'. It is one of the most iconic fights between the WBC and IBF middleweight champion, Bernard Hopkins, and the WBA middleweight champion, Felix Trinidad. In the end, Hopkins had the upper hand, ending the fight with a TKO.
• Errol Spence Jr. vs. Kell Brook (2017): The match that has defined Spence's career as he defeated the IBF welterweight champion Kell ‘The Special One’ Brook. This would then become Spence's first world title.

World Boxing Organisation (WBO)

The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) is also one of the ‘big four’ and was founded in 1988, the youngest of the major sanctioning bodies. Similar to the three other major world championship groups, WBO also sanctions world titles in 17 various weight classes. Some of the most known WBO world champions are Manny Pacquiao, Joseph Parker, Virgil Hill, and Steve Collins.

WBO iconic matches

Some of the most iconic matches that have been produced by the WBO are:

• Marco Huck vs. Ola Afolabi trilogy (2009, 2012, 2013): It was Afolabi who wanted to spice things up and challenged the WBO cruiserweight champion, Huck won the first two fights via majority decision, and the last one via unanimous decision, allowing him to maintain his title.
• Nathan Cleverly vs. Tony Bellew (2011): The famous UK showdown that was made for Cleverly where he successfully made his first WBO light-heavyweight title defence against Tony Bellew. 
• Joseph Parker vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. (2016): Known as the ‘History’, the match saw the undefeated Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr, vying for the vacant heavyweight title as none had held the belt for quite some time. Parker emerged victorious via majority decision.

The Olympics

The Olympics is the world's grandest and largest multi-sport event, featuring a wide range of sports and disciplines, including boxing. It showcases the highest-calibre athletes from different nations, all vying for gold medals. Olympic boxing has been revived since 1896 and has since produced world champions and intense matches that are popular in boxing betting as well.

In Olympic boxing, some of the most notable world champions are Felix Savón from Cuba, who won gold medals in 1992, 1996, and 2000, and Julio César La Cruz, also from Cuba, who won gold medals in 2012 and 2016. Moreover, Sugar Ray Leonard of the USA won gold in 1976.

The Olympics’ iconic boxing matches

Take a look at the most talked about boxing matches in the Olympics throughout the years:

• Seoul 1988: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Park Si-Hun - One of the most controversial moments in boxing history where Park Si-Hun was declared as the winner over Ray Jones Jr. who visibly dominated the match in most rounds. Many believed that Ray Jones Jr. was the clear winner but the judges said otherwise.
• Barcelona 1992: Roberto Balado vs. Arnold Vanderlyde - It was one of the matches where one is the main character, and that was Cuba’s Roberto Balado. He came in as a heavy favourite to win and ended up winning the gold medal with a 12-1 decision. 
• London 2012: Claressa Shields vs. Nadezda Torlopova - The Olympic match where the 17-year-old Claressa Shields defeated Nadezda Torlopova in an impressive match. The match was also one for the books as it was the first time women’s boxing was included in the Olympic boxing system.

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) is a professional boxing tournament established in 2017. It features a series of weight-class tournaments, with each tournament including eight boxers competing in an annual knockout competition. The champions receive the prestigious 'Muhammad Ali Trophy'.

Although relatively new to the boxing world, the WBSS has introduced several notable champions, including Oleksandr Usyk, Callum Smith, Josh Taylor, and Naoya Inoue. The WBSS provides a platform to unify the various world titles in each weight class and determine the top fighter, making it an exciting option to include in your sports betting boxing list.

WBSS iconic matches

Some of the most iconic matches in the WBSS include:

• Oleksandr Usyk vs. Murat Gassiev (2018): The match that made Usyk one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world as he was able to defeat the previously undefeated Gassiev. The match ended in a 12-round unanimous decision and showcased Usyk's undeniable skills.
• Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire (2019): This fight marked a career-defining moment for the young superstar, Naoya Inoue, as he defeated the veteran Nonito Donaire to claim the bantamweight title. Inoue then went on to score consecutive knockout wins in his next fights.
• Josh Taylor vs. Regis Prograis (2019): A bout that pits two undefeated champions against each other. In the end, Taylor won via majority decision, unifying the WBA, IBF, and Ring Magazine light welterweight titles.

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With a plethora of boxing tournaments to bet on, it’s time to showcase your wagering skills! Gamdom is a leading platform for online boxing betting that allows you to choose from a range of elite tournaments and exciting matches. Not only that, Gamdom also champions offering competitive boxing betting odds that will complete your ultimate betting experience.

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