Boxing betting fans will face a dilemma when Vitali "Dr. Iron fist" Klitschko risks his WBC heavyweight championship against Albert "The Dragon" Sosnowski in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, May 29. On paper, this is a classic mismatch but how much is too much to lay on the champion?
Of the 13 sportsbooks we surveyed, the most generous price on Klitschko (39-2, 37 knockouts) was -2200 (bet $2,200 to win $100). Four sportsbooks had Klitschko at a bankroll-busting -5000 and five more had the German at -3300, a price similar to the odds Mike Tyson enjoyed when he was upset by Buster Douglas in Tokyo in February of 1990. Consider yourself warned.
But Douglas had a height and weight advantage over Tyson and possessed punching prowess, a trio of qualities that Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs) lacks. The London-based Polish challenger has lost just once in the last nine years but hasn't faced the same quality of opposition as Klitschko. A lack of recognizable opponents helps explain odds as high as +2400 (bet $100 to win $2,400) though that's still looks like an underlay.
Realizing that straight win prices aren't likely to generate much excitement among boxing betting aficionados, sportsbooks are offering dozens of other ways to bet the fight, some intriguing, some novel, and some downright ridiculous.
Among the more traditional betting alternatives is a total bet on how long the scheduled 12-round fight will last. Gamblers can choose a trio of distances with odds contracting from -150 on the "under" for 7 1/2 rounds to -200 for 8 1/2 rounds and -275 for 9 1/2 rounds. Respective prices on the "over" escalate from even money to +150 to +190. It's also -700 that the fight goes the full 12-round distance and +450 that it does not.
Bettors also can wager on the five possible outcomes of the fight with Klitschko by KO, TKO or disqualification offered at -400; Klitschko by decision, +350; Sosnowski by KO, TKO or DQ, +1600; Sosnowski by decision, +2000; and a 12-round draw, +4000.
In addition to the "Method of Victory" proposition above, there's an "Exact Method of Victory" prop that is more difficult to hit but offers greater rewards for success: Klitschko by TKO is -200; Klitschko by KO, +175; Klitschko by unanimous decision, +600; Klitschko by retired opponent, +1000; Klitschko by split decision, +2800; Klitschko by disqualified opponent, +2800; Klitschko by technical decision, +3300; and Klitschko by majority decision, +8000.
The prices are far more lucrative for the challenger: Sosnowski by TKO, +1200; Sosnowski by KO, +2200; Sosnowski by split decision, +4000; Sosnowski by unanimous decision, +6600; Sosnowski by technical decision, +8000; Sosnowski by disqualified opponent, +8000; Sosnowski by retired opponent, +8000; and Sosnowski by majority decision, +15000.
Some sportsbooks also are offering round and group round betting. The latter, where gamblers obtain a bracket of six, four or three rounds, is more plausible from a sports betting perspective. For example, a Klitschko win in rounds 1-6 is -110 while a Klitschko triumph in rounds 7-12 is +125. The more adventurous also can choose Klitschko in rounds 1-4, +200; Klitschko in rounds 5-8, +175; and Klitschko in rounds 9-12, +275. Bettors can narrow it down even more if they like: Klitschko in rounds 1-3, +300; Klitschko in rounds 4-6, +250; Klitschko in rounds 7-9, +275; and Klitschko in rounds 10-12, +400. Pick the individual round Klitschko wins and collect from +550 to +3300, depending on the round.
Of course, odds are significantly higher in all categories for Sosnowski, ranging from a low of +1600 for rounds 1-6 or rounds 7-12, to a high of +20000 for a 12th round stoppage.
There's also a "canvas" prop being offered at some sportsbooks. Sports betting enthusiasts can wager whether either fighter will be knocked down, -1200; whether Sosnowski will taste the canvas, -1000; whether either fighter will be knocked down in the first round, +400; whether Sosnowski will be knocked off his feet in the opening three minutes, +450; whether there will be no knockdowns in the fight, +600; whether Klitschko will be knocked down, +700; whether both boxers will land on their seats, +850; and whether Klitschko will hit the canvas in the first round, +4000.
You also can get +2200 that Klitschko ends the fight within 60 seconds of the first round or +20000 that Sosnowski somehow shocks the world with a 60-second or less stoppage of Klitschko.
There's even a silly prop on whether the end comes in an odd (-120) or even-numbered (-120) round.
So, even with a fight that looks like a mismatch, sportsbooks are offering boxing betting fans a myriad of alternative ways to get involved in the action.
