Fight News

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Fight of the Century - Oscar De La Hoya Vs Floyd Mayweather

From a wagering perspective, the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight could emerge as the richest boxing event in Las Vegas' modern era.

Betting on the bout is expected to amount to several million dollars at the host MGM-Mirage properties alone, approaching or exceeding the handle generated by the second Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield heavyweight fight in 1997, said Robert Walker, director of race and sports book operations for MGM-Mirage.

"People see this as the biggest boxing match in a long time, and no one's sure when another one is going to happen, so people are betting accordingly," Walker said. "It's like the Super Bowl, where people bet more than they do on a regular weekly basis because they know it's the last game of the season."

Mayweather, who puts his unbeaten record and unofficial title of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter on the line Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is a minus-180 favorite (risk $1.80 to win $1) against De La Hoya. (Odds are subject to change.)

In the round proposition, bettors are required to risk $2.50 to $3 to win $1 that the fight will last 11 1/2 or all 12 rounds, depending on the odds at each sports book.

The price on Mayweather to win represents a drop from the opening line of about minus-220, indicating most of the money has been wagered on underdog De La Hoya.

At MGM-Mirage properties, Walker said , he has accepted plenty of wagers on De La Hoya in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Walker has also been fielding inquiries on six-figure bets, though no gambler has risked that much yet. Several six-figure bets are expected to come in by the weekend, Walker said.

The tickets on De La Hoya could outnumber those on Mayweather by 3-to-1, Walker said, although most of the larger wagers will be on Mayweather - a typical pattern for a fight based in Las Vegas, where the betting public traditionally supports the underdog at the sports book windows.

"De La Hoya is by far the most popular fighter out there," Walker said. "Mayweather might be the favorite, and De La Hoya might be the underdog, but Oscar is the draw."

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1 Comments:

At 2:03 PM, Blogger merjoem32 said...

The fight of the century turned out to be a a bit disappointing considering this super fight was suppose to save boxing and all that. Mayweather should fight Hatton next. I don't believe he will retire just yet.

 

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