George Foreman wrote that the number of fixed pro fights would surprise the average fan. He didn't name any of them, but he said he knew of plenty. High profile fights with lopsided odds naturally attract boxing's criminal element. I'm sure they are not all rigged, but I'm equally sure some of them are. Here are a few candidates of possible fixes, based solely on the odds. Tyson-Douglas 42-1 Lewis- Rahman 20-1 Sanders-W. Klitschko 20-1 Braddock-Baer 10-1 Liston-Clay 8-1 Foreman-Ali 4-1 Which fights do you think are more likely?
No it was most definitely not a fix! Tyson took the mother of all beatings that night, if you're going to take a dive then you don't have your face pummelled like raw steak for 10 rounds.
no they were real venomous punches been thrown all through that fight tyson almost beat him 13 second knockdown but respect to douglas he got back up and did the business. This was a declining tyson, saying fight is fixed is a disgrace to those who are brain damaged and in comas from boxing.
At lower levels now the fights could be fixed, however Tyson was already a multi millionaire by the time he fought Buster Dougles. Same with Lewis vs Rahman. Knowing the money they can generate by being champions, I doubt they would fix fights for even 10million+ some of the smaller fights could be open to manipulation though. I'm sure there's a lowly paid journyman boxer out there somewhere who'll take a sack of money to take a dive.
The only thing fixed in Douglas-Tyson was Mike's face with all the punches it took It was an unmotivated, out of shape, unfocused guy vs. a driven, sharp guy who fought the fight of his life. The outcome was a natural and logical one. On the other side, Ali-Liston.... hmmm
No. Tyson barely bothered to train for the fight, while Douglas was focused, and motivated by the death of his mother. Lewis-Rahman I wasn't a fix, either. Lewis just got caught by a punch. It happens.
I see your point, but a betting coup depends on a lot of money being bet on the other side of a fight. A fight between two unknowns won't have enough money bet on it to fade a large bet. Also, a fighter who takes a dive doesn't have to be doing it for money. He could be doing it because of a credible threat to him or his family.
I didn't say I think it was a fix. Reread my post. Of the fights I listed, Ali-Liston is the only one(s) I think might have been fixed. I know their second fight was a fix.
You want a real true-to-life fix? Look at the first Dokes-Weaver fight.That was has fix written all over it.
an outsider winning does not mean fix in any shape or form. when odds open at a reasonable price and get bet down to something unrealistic you can begin to make a case. i.e if millions were bet on douglas his price would not have been 40/1
I disagree. Odds posted by a sports book reflect the betting activities of the retail trade (the little guys). Large bets between big gamblers are made privately so as not to leave an audit trail. If I wanted to bet $2 million on a fight, I couldn't find a Vegas book that would take the bet and I wouldn't want to bet with them anyway. I'd find a private bet with another big player.