The Big Underdog Winners for Boxing Betting:
The betting man has a different pound-for-pound list than the ones you normally see. For boxing bettors, certain fighters stand out as true legends based on the profits they have generated. This is actually a harder list to stay on. Once you notch a certain amount of upsets or big wins, the oddsmakers start giving you more credit and it becomes harder to find good value. These guys aren’t sneaking up on anyone at this point, but boy did they earn. The best time to bet on them might be in the past, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have more gems to give us. At the betting window, these fighters have been the best earners for boxing bettors:
Boxing’s Fifth-Best Earner: Orlando Salido
The new WBO Featherweight Champion has 11 losses, so he might not seem like the ideal betting choice. Most of those losses, however, occurred before his name ever appeared on betting boards. If you wagered on Salido over the past 4-5 years, you might have suffered a few setbacks, but when he comes through—he does it big. In late-2006, he “beat” Robert Guerrero and then came the monumental upset of Lopez this past weekend.
A positive drug test eventually led to a “no contest” in the Guerrero fight. Rightfully, no one counts that fight against Guerrero. Nevertheless, if you had money on Salido—you got paid that night. His win over Lopez was an even bigger upset. If you hit both of those bets, you could wager on Salido and lose 15 straight times, and you would still be ahead.
Boxing’s Fourth-Best Earner: Brian Vera
With Vera, you have to take a few knocks along the way, but his number hits far more often than what the odds would suggest. Those backing him scored big when he stopped the very heavily-favored Andy Lee in 2008. He lost 3 straight after that, but you would have still been ahead if you continued betting the same amount in each fight. If you stuck with him through that rough patch, your loyalty would have been richly rewarded.
Vera again came through for a big number in Montreal against hotshot Sebastian Demers in June of 2010. After another setback in Ukraine, Vera came back in February to upset ex-titleholder Sergio Mora. He is a hit-and-miss proposition, but he has certainly earned his status as one of the sport’s best upset specialists.
Boxing’s Third-Best Earner: Manny Pacquiao
Nowadays, you’re not going to bet on Pacquiao and receive much value, but there’s no doubting his track record as a moneymaker. In his career, he has brought home the bacon as an underdog a number of times, including his wins over Chatchai Sasakul, Lehlo Ledwaba, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Oscar De La Hoya. A small handful of upsets over a dozen years may not sound like much, but can you name a top-tier fighter who scored more upsets in his career? Quickly—without going to the records. Not as easy as it sounds, is it? In addition, he triumphed a number of times when only a modest favorite.
If you began with $1000 and started betting on Pacquiao in all his fights after he lost to Morales in 2005, and just let it all ride, you would have somewhere in the neighborhood of $50K now. Go find a stock that performs that well.
Boxing’s Second-Best Earner: Bernard Hopkins
Hopkins’ legacy has enjoyed a big boost since he turned 40, but so has the bankroll of those smart enough to have stuck with “The Executioner” over the past 5 or so years. There wasn’t much value to be found with Hopkins at the betting window until he faced Felix Trinidad in 2001—beginning one of the best runs of upset wins in the sport’s history.
The Taylor losses would have eaten away the winnings from the Trinidad and De La Hoya fights, but he made up for that and then some. His 2007 win over Winky Wright was only a modest upset (hard to believe now that Wright was favored), but his wins over Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik were in the 3-1 or 4-1 region. Those 3 upsets past the age of 40 could easily be 4—if the judges had been a bit more charitable in the Pascal fight.
Boxing’s Top Earner: Cornelius Bundrage
If you had the foresight to begin betting on Bundrage a few years ago whenever he was a major underdog, you would be singing his praises today. “K-9” was a 4-1 underdog against Kassim Ouma in 2008, winning a unanimous decision. Later that year, he traveled to Germany to take on undefeated Russian Zaurbek Baysangurov—a highly-regarded young contender and a humongous favorite to brush aside the overlooked Detroiter. A 5th-round TKO gave Bundrage a high world-ranking and his backers a huge payday.
Bundrage, who strangely still struggles for respect, was again a solid underdog when he faced reigning champion Cory Spinks in August of 2010. Once again, Bundrage upset the odds with another 5th-round knockout. If you took $1000 and let it ride with Bundrage in the underdog role beginning with the Ouma fight, you would be sitting on about 60-70 grand right now. Let’s just say if boxing bettors had a time machine that could only go back 15 years or so, the sportsbooks would be wondering why the most heavily wagered fights in history all involve Bundrage.
He next faces Sechew Powell in June. Powell stopped Bundrage in the first round in 2005, before “K-9” had come into his own. This might be another chance to get Bundrage at a nice price. If he wins, he might eventually get a well-deserved fight against one of the big names at or around his weight. In other words, those looking to jump on the bandwagon late could still make some big scores if Bundrage continues his winning ways.
