One irony in the sport of boxing is that the sport itself continues on a decline, while celebrity fights are emerging in popularity. There was a time when top bouts were coming up every weekend, but now celebrity bouts appear to be filling the gap. And these fights aren’t pitting the likes of David Hasselhoff against Ralph Macchio. Instead, these are bringing real celebrities in the sport, a trend that began when Floyd Mayweather fought Conor McGregor back in 2017. The rule changes are interesting rather than gadgety, and while these are not considered pro fights by the governing bodies, the quality has been real, and the boxing betting opportunities have been numerous — a trend that will continue into 2021.
Boxing News: The Emergence of Celebrity Boxing
When McGregor tangled with Mayweather, there was some skepticism from such voices as ESPN blowhard Stephen A. Smith. McGregor had never boxed at the pro level, but the fight was entertaining — and it brought in over 4.3 million purchases on pay per view television.
The latest example of this trend was the bout between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones back in November. The presentation was on par with the classic Rocky films, and Snoop Dogg sat ringside to provide comedy in the commentary. The ring was smaller than the standard size, allowing for less room to escape, all making the fighting more dynamic. There were also two pro fights on the card, but the fights between Jake Paul and Nate Robinson and the headliner were the fights that went viral. About 1.6 million pay per view buys brought over $80 million in or the event, where the focus was entertainment.
There was trash talk that emerged in the boxing world, as Gervonta Davis dragged Robinson for getting knocked out, and Ryan Garcia issued a challenge to Davis on the same day when the upcoming bout between Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather was announced. There had been rumors of a fight between Jake Paul and Ryan Garcia earlier in 2020, but Garcia then went public with the news that his dispute with Paul was just a hoax. Garcia and Paul trained together in July, and Garcia is slated to fight Luke Campbell on January 2. Even so, Garcia and DAvis have agreed to fight after their next scheduled bouts.
If you look a little further back in history, celebrity boxing is a bit older than you might think. In 1976, Muhammad Ali tangled with Antonio Inoki, a Japanese professional wrestler, in the first junction between boxing and MMA. Rocky III opens with a bizarre showdown between Rocky Balboa and wrestling phenomenon Hulk Hogan. However, celebrity boxing will become more of a trend in 2021, with five events slated for the year. The idea is to get people under 35 more interested in boxing, as MMA has taken away much of that audience with its weekly cards in such promotions as UFC and Bellator.
In the sports betting community, these celebrity bouts also offer odds and props, which means there are opportunities for bettors to take part. The research that goes into handicapping professional bouts can sometimes go by the wayside with celebrity bouts; while the competition is no doubt real, there is less on the line professionally in these exhibition rounds. In the case of Mike Tyson fighting Roy Jones, you had to go back years to get a sense of Tyson’s style, and the fact that Jones had fought so much more recently perhaps drew action his way. When the fight came down as a split draw, the resounding push meant that there was no money won as a result. If that trend continues, betting interest may decline, but for now, it’s definitely a growth trend.
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