Boxing betting online: Well that escalated quickly. Former world champions Antonio Tarver – 31-6, 22 KOs – and Steve Cunningham – 28-7, 13 KOS – exchanged heated words on a July 23 conference call to promote their heavyweight bout on August 14.
While this sort of trash talk is common before a fight, the two went back and forth for 20 minutes, taking the mutual contempt for out of the normal pre-fight banter territory.
CURRENT ODDS
Early lines have pegged the 30-year old Cunningham as the minus-185 favorite against Tarver, whose money line opened at plus+150. I’m a bit surprised that Cunningham isn’t a bigger favorite, as he’s more than seven years the junior of Tarver and in much better shape. The over/under for this bout is likely to be set at 11.5 rounds, with the over being the more expensive bet – neither man is known for knockout power.
WAR OF THE WORDS
“You’re overlooking me…I wouldn’t break camp, but you’re breaking camp for me. Good luck August 14. You’re crazy. Your out of your mind.” – Tarver to Cunningham.
“A few years ago, you were calling me a nobody. Let’s keep it real. You’re a professional mouth-runner. I’m a professional fighter. Period.” Cunningham to Tarver.
“We can trade back and forth all day, like baseball cards bruh. We gonna get in the ring and match skills. I don’t wanna hear about you.” Cunningham to Tarver.
“Your mama so fat she left the house in high heels and when she came back she had on flip flops.” – Tarver to Cunningham.
Ok, so I made that last one up. But you can see where this is going. In a heavyweight fight with zero title implications whatsoever, Tarver and Cunningham managed to drum up some interest. There’s always more incentive to watch two guys that genuinely do not like each other step into the ring and try to beat each other up, amirite?
FIGHT PREDICTION AND ANALYSIS
Tarver is 6’2”, 225 pounds with a, to put it politely, “portly” physique. The southpaw boxer/puncher carries decent power in both hands, but at 46 years old that’s pretty much all he’s got left. He’s well past his prime and all his natural skills, like reflexes, speed and stamina have badly faded.
Cunningham is the exact opposite, with a chiseled 6’2”, 210-pound frame. He’s still a very good athlete at 39 years old, and retains good conditioning and quick hands. Although he gets hit a lot more than he should, he has shown the ability to go toe-to-toe with bigger men.
This is an easy fight to pick. If Tarver was anywhere near his peak, I’d choose him all day. But he’s a creaky fighter now, and Cunningham has all the physical advantages. Take Cunningham to win a unanimous decision.
HOW TO BET
Sign into Bookmaker and get all the latest Antonio Tarver vs. Steve Cunningham boxing odds, money lines, over/unders and prop bets. The fight takes place August 14, 2015 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The card will be televised live on Spike TV starting 9 p.m. ET. It’s a great opportunity to bet on a free cable card.
Make sure to check in during fight night and get the latest live betting updates. You can bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. And with multiple reliable payout options, collecting your earnings is always quick and easy.
