Joe Calzaghe has never lost (44-0, 32 knockouts) so it shouldn't come as a major surprise that the former super middleweight champion of the world opened as a solid favorite to continue his unbeaten streak before HBO's cameras at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 19. Now consider that Calzaghe not only will be fighting as a light heavyweight for the first time but that his opponent will be Bernard Hopkins, one of the premier champions of the past two decades, and you not only have the makings for a most compelling fight but an intriguing test for gamblers who enjoy betting boxing, as well.
Calzaghe, who unsuccessfully sought a bout with Hopkins six years ago, opened as a consensus -300 favorite (bet $300 to win $100), though some sportsbooks were offering "The Pride of Wales" as low as -200 while other sportsbooks surveyed had the 35-year-old brawler listed as high as -365.
Calzaghe made a record-tying 21 consecutive world title defenses at super middleweight, including a defining defeat of Mikkel Kessler last November when he added Kessler's WBA and WBC title belts to his own IBF and WBO hardware.
But Calzaghe's first fight at light heavyweight, a boost from 168 to 175 pounds, as well as his initial outing in the United States, won't be an easy affair if Hopkins has his anything to say about it. Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs), opened as a consensus +240 underdog (bet $100 to win $240) but savvy bet shoppers also could get +280. The least attractive price we found on Hopkins was +160.
Hopkins, now 43 years old, went a dozen years and 26 bouts without a defeat, from the time he was beaten by Roy Jones Jr. in 1993, until a controversial split decision loss to Jermain Taylor in 2005. In that time span he knocked out heralded champions Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad, among others. Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight in 2006, scoring a stunning victory over reigning 175-pound champion Antonio Tarver. After a brief retirement, Hopkins returned to the ring last July, beating another former champion, Ronald "Winky" Wright.
Clearly, gamblers will have to decide if Hopkins, a devastating body puncher and an attractive underdog, has enough left in the tank to beat Calzaghe.
If that wagering decision proves too difficult, there are a number of other ways to bet the fight.
Seeing as neither man ever has been stopped, the over/under on the scheduled 12-round bout is 11 1/2 rounds with "over" bettors forced to lay -300. Gamblers who believe the bout won't reach the midway point of the 12th round take back +225. If those last 90 seconds of the 12th round bother you, you can lay -400 that the fight goes the distance or take +250 that it does not go 12 full rounds.
Additionally, bettors can wager on any of the possible five outcomes of the fight:
| Calzaghe by decision | - 125 |
| Calzaghe by KO, TKO or DQ | + 350 |
| Hopkins by decision | + 350 |
| Hopkins by KO, TKO or DQ | + 900 |
| 12 round draw | +1600 |
What's more, many wagering outlets also are offering round and round group betting on the fight. In round betting, you simply wager on who wins in what round. For example, if you bet that Calzaghe stops Hopkins in the eighth round and that rabbit's foot you've been carrying around with you actually works, you get paid off at odds of 20/1. Other prices include Calzaghe in the first at 45/1 and Hopkins in the first at 80/1. There's a different price for each man in every round and you have to nail it exactly. Of course, if the fight goes the distance, the books pocket all the money wagered on this prop.
For the slightly less clairvoyant, there's round group betting. Take a look:
| Calzaghe | Hopkins |
| Round 1, 2 or 3 | 18/1 | 40/1 |
| Round 4, 5 or 6 | 12/1 | 33/1 |
| Round 7, 8 or 9 | 11/1 | 28/1 |
| Round 10, 11 or 12 | 11/1 | 28/1 |
No teams, no playoffs, no tournament. In that respect, betting boxing may be the purest form of sports betting.
