After a months-long coronavirus hiatus that floor science failed to support, sweet science is finally back.
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN, Top Rank is hosting the world’s first boxing match since lockdowns shut down the sport worldwide. The fights will be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Previous fights have of course been fought in arenas, but this time things are a bit different. As with recent UFC bouts, there will be no crowds and there will be a limit on the number of news reporters, sportswriters and even coaches and cornermen allowed into the venue.
According to ESPN, Top Rank President Todd duBoef has long sought a Vegas venue for the return of his sport.
“It was a bit of a selfish interest on all of us that it was like we’re decimating the city and the state the way they were, like we’re bringing some business back or start showing the world, reintroduce the sport We felt bringing it out on TV was important because Nevada was our home state. They had to be the focus or collaborate with us, the consumer or the average person. “Hey, let’s get some confidence back. Las Vegas is still here.”
Well the fights are back and you can bet on tonight’s matchup at any legal offshore sportsbook.
2020 Boxing Betting Odds – June 9th, Las Vegas, NV (ESPN)
Odds on Bovada Sportsbook
Ramirez vs. Andujar – Featherweight, 6 rounds
- Robey Ramirez-1800
- Yeuri Andujar +850
Vianello vs. Haynesworth – Heavyweight, 6 rounds
- Guido Vianello -10,000
- Don Haynesworth +1600
Anderson vs. Langston – Heavyweight, 6 rounds (Co-Main)
- Jared Anderson-5000
- Johnnie Langston +1400
Stevenson vs. Caraballo – Super Featherweight, 10 Rounds (Main Event)
- Shakur Stevenson -10000
- Felix Caraballo +1500
Tonight’s top-tier card only has five fights, and Bovada has chances for four of them.
In this fifth fight (the second fight of the night), Quatavious Cash takes on Calvin Metcalf in six rounds of middleweight action. While the betting lines may be announced closer to the fight start time, they are not yet known.
You can also get a variety of other boxing odds at Bovada, although none of these competitions have been confirmed yet, and others – like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tyson Fury vs. Logan Paul – are at the moment, strictly in the fantasy realm -futures.
Still, Tonight’s return should be fun, and since it’s airing on ESPN amid a lack of other live esports, the ratings should help give the sport a boost.
That should also be the special circumstances.
As there will be no noise from the crowd at this map, spectators and bettors alike – especially those who have never been to a live boxing event – will be able to hear the punches like never before.
Boxing is a brutal sport, but one that is often muted by the traditional broadcast environment. Today’s event will open the eyes of many fans and close the eyes of some of the pugilists.
In addition to fighting in front of cameras instead of crowds, other interesting measures have been taken to curb the potential spread of COVID-19.
All fighters and their trainers, taking place in what Top Rank calls a “bubble,” have been tested for the coronavirus and if they leave the isolated premises of the MGM Grand, they will need to be tested again. The ring environment looks like this:
So far, one fighter, Mikaela Mayer, has tested positive for the virus, so her fight with Helen Joseph was canceled and the Anderson-Langston fight was moved to the co-main event slot.
Hopefully no more scheduled fights are derailed by positive tests between now and tonight as Top Rank does not have a reliable mechanism to replace athletes on that map (although promotion is working towards future fights under these temporary conditions).
Nonetheless, boxing is finally back, and while tonight’s show could be as interesting to their otherworldly surroundings as it is to the fighters in the ring, there’s still some intrigue within the square circle.
The main event, Stevenson vs. Caraballo, is being touted as a springboard for the former fighter. In fact, Shakur Stevenson, the 22-year-old featherweight champion of the world, is being hyped as “the future of boxing” and “the next Floyd Mayweather.” Whether that works is unclear, but his odds of beating Felix Caraballo are astronomically high at -10000.
By the odds remaining, none of these fights should be particularly close, but there’s a good chance you’ll see a few knockouts, and since nothing can dampen the tone, there’s an even greater chance that – perhaps for the first time ever – you will also feel the knockouts.
So get your sports bets legal and get that subwoofer ready!