Boxing Betting Strategy - Punchers vs. Boxers

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One huge reason why boxing has survived the test of time is because of the excitement it offers. One strong punch could change the entire outcome of a 12-round fight. It doesn't matter if somebody has lost every round on the scorecard as long as they can land a single punch that'll send their opponent sprawling on the canvas.

And this brings us to an interesting topic in boxing betting which involves punchers vs. boxers. In many matchups, there'll be a skilled technical boxer in one corner, and a powerful puncher who wins most of their fights via TKO in the other corner. Sometimes this creates confusion on the part of many bettors who wonder which type of fighter to wager on. This being said, let's take a closer look at punchers vs. boxers from a boxing betting strategy standpoint.

Who's More Likely to win?

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Whenever you're torn between choosing a puncher or technically-sound boxer, the better decision usually lies with the boxer. Sure punchers can equalize a fight with a single well-placed left hook; however, the boxer is usually very adept at avoiding a damaging punch and will dance around their opponent. There have been many high-profile examples of this throughout boxing history, including the following:

Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez (2010) for the Ring, WBO and WBC Middleweight Titles - With 30 knockouts in 36 fights, Ohio's Kelly Pavlik was the classic puncher. The guy he was facing, Sergio Martinez, was quite the opposite since he had just 24 KO's in 44 matches. Although Pavlik knocked Martinez down once in the seventh round, he was thoroughly dominated throughout the majority of the bout and lost via decision.

Chris Byrd vs. David Tua (2001) for the USBA Heavyweight Title - Not only did Tua outweigh Bird by 20 pounds, but he was also the superior puncher with 37 KO's in 42 fights. But Byrd was definitely the more skilled boxer and proved this throughout the 12-round match. Byrd won by unanimous decision after putting on a clinic against Tua.

Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad (2005) - With 35 knockouts in 40 fights and only one loss on his record, Trinidad was the heavy favorite going into a bout with Wright. However, Wright had an incredible jab and used this to keep Trinidad at bay for the entire fight. Two judges scored the fight 119-108 and one scored it 120-107, all in favor of Wright.

Other Considerations

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Giving technical boxers an edge over punchers is just one component to winning profits through boxing betting. After all, punchers like Tua and Pavlik defeated a large number of sound technical fighters on their way to impressive career records.

You also need to take other factors into account such as a boxer's motivation, recent performances and fighting style. Beginning with the motivational aspect, we've all hear the term "hungry fighter." And this merely refers to how motivated a boxer is to reach the top. If there's only a slight talent gap between a favorite and underdog, but the dog is much hungrier, then an upset could be brewing.

Recent performance is important in any sport, but it's especially critical with regard to boxing betting. A fighter's last two or three matches can be very telling of how they're aging and/or how they fare against other top-ranked boxers. You can often get good value out of an underdog if they're going against a favorite with poor recent performances.

Also don't forget to consider how fighting styles can influence a match. Even top-tier boxers run into major trouble against certain styles like a southpaw or counter-puncher. So be sure to look back on how fighters do against specific styles before laying a bet on or against them.

There are plenty of aspects that go into profitable boxing betting. But just know that punchers vs. technical boxers is one of the bigger factors that you should study.