Columnist Jeff Haney: This time, all bets are off for Hopkins

[clevfan]

Columnist Jeff Haney: This time, all bets are off for Hopkins
SEPT 15
LAS VEGAS SUN

For Bernard Hopkins, known as "The Executioner," placing a sizable wager on himself used to be as much a part of his prefight routine as donning a black hood and robe for publicity photos. But Hopkins, the longtime middleweight champ, evidently has given gambling the ax.

Hopkins said this week he does not plan to make a large public bet on himself in Saturday's highly anticipated showdown with Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand.

He said he now shies away from doing so because he believes a bet he made with veteran middleweight William Joppy might have affected the integrity of their bout last December in Atlantic City.

Before that fight, the two made a man-to-man bet on whether Joppy would last all 12 scheduled rounds. If he made it to the final bell, Joppy would collect $50,000 from Hopkins, according to the terms of the bet. If Hopkins won by knockout, he would get $25,000 from Joppy.

As it turned out, Joppy did go the distance, losing a lopsided unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards but collecting on the $50,000 wager.

Winning the bet came at a price for Joppy. He absorbed a series of devastating blows from Hopkins' fists, particularly during the final four rounds, and his face was grotesquely swollen afterward -- so much so that Hopkins said he was reminded of comic actor Martin Lawrence disguised in a fat suit as the title character in "Big Momma's House."

Hopkins said this week he was disturbed that Joppy might have put his health -- and possibly his life --in jeopardy in order to collect on the wager.

"Joppy almost lost his life in Atlantic City," Hopkins told the Sun. "It's never the fighter who quits, but the people around him and the corner should know when he's had enough. I don't want anybody to have their judgment clouded because of a bet."

In another big fight that linked Hopkins with gambling, against Felix Trinidad in 2001 he entered the ring with a temporary tattoo on his back advertising an Internet casino.

Hopkins reportedly received a $100,000 fee for wearing the tattoo, which he supposedly bet on himself as an underdog in the bout. He stopped Trinidad in the 12th round to become the undisputed middleweight champion.

Although making a bet in a Las Vegas sports book is quite different from a head-to-head bet with an opponent or an Internet casino venture, Hopkins said he's more comfortable these days keeping gambling separate from his exploits in the ring.

"I wouldn't want to put anyone in a position where because of a bet their manager or their promoter might act differently," he said. "I don't want to put anyone in a position that could cost them their lives because of a bet."

Fight odds

Hopkins-De La Hoya is being heralded as one of the biggest non-heavyweight fights of all time, and the betting action in Las Vegas figures to reflect that lofty status.

"I expect a ton of action on this fight," said Bob Scucci, sports book director at the Stardust. "It's been pretty good so far and I expect the action to get heavier throughout the week."

Hopkins is currently a minus 240 favorite at the Stardust, with a takeback of plus 190 on De La Hoya. (Bettors must lay $2.40 for each $1 they're trying to win on Hopkins. De La Hoya backers would win $1.90, plus their original stake, for each $1 they bet.)

"De La Hoya is one of those rare fighters who draws a lot of action no matter who he's in there against -- and it just so happens that this time he's fighting another very popular boxer in Hopkins," Scucci said.

Early this year -- before Hopkins and De La Hoya defeated separate opponents on a June 5 card at the MGM Grand -- Hopkins opened as a slight favorite, minus 115, against De La Hoya at the Mirage and its affiliated sports books (including the host property MGM).

Shortly after Hopkins convincingly beat Robert Allen and De La Hoya looked flat in a victory against Felix Sturm that same night, Hopkins was installed as a favorite of approximately 2-1 at sports books around town.

"It's been going back and forth," Scucci said. "We put it up a couple of months ago, and the early money was all on Hopkins. Then it started swinging toward De La Hoya, and most recently the action has been back on Hopkins."

Which fighter will get more support at the betting windows between now and the opening bell is up for debate.

Las Vegas sports handicapper Patrick Bartucci (patricksfreepress.com), who likes Hopkins to win the fight, thinks De La Hoya money will drive the odds on Hopkins down into the range of minus 170 or minus 180.

"Don't underestimate the money from Southern Californians coming into town for the weekend," Bartucci said.

Scucci, who did not offer a prediction on where the line will close, did say he expects to write plenty of tickets on the underdog as fight time draws closer.

"The sharp money is going to be on Hopkins," Scucci said. "But typically on the day of the fight, you see a lot of money on the underdog. I would expect on fight day, we'll be taking a lot of bets on De La Hoya."

Most observers, however, think Hopkins will successfully defend his middleweight crown for the 19th consecutive time. In a poll conducted by The Ring magazine, 19 of 20 experts surveyed chose Hopkins to win; only one picked De La Hoya. And of seven staff members at the magazine known as "The Bible of Boxing," six selected Hopkins to win.

In the round proposition, the odds are minus 160 that the fight will go its 12 full scheduled rounds; it's plus 140 that it won't go 12 full, according to the line at the Mirage and related properties.

In other props, De La Hoya winning by knockout is 9-2; De La Hoya by decision is 5-2; Hopkins by knockout is 13-10; and Hopkins by decision is 3-2, according to Mirage odds. It's a 12-1 shot the fight will end in a draw. (See the chart on this page for individual round propositions on when a knockout will take place.)

Stardust contest

Professional sports gambler Fezzik edged David Stratton this past weekend in the first round of the Stardust Invitational handicapping tournament. Fezzik and Stratton, the event's defending champion, both went 4-3 against the point spread in their seven selections, but Fezzik prevailed by winning his best bet, which serves as a tiebreaker.

Fezzik's top pick was the Detroit Lions plus 3 against the Chicago Bears. The Lions defeated the Bears, 20-16, Sunday.

The tournament features 16 handicappers competing for a $10,000 prize. At 9 p.m. this Friday at the Stardust, Vinnie Magliulo, sports book director for Wynn Las Vegas, scheduled to open next year, takes on oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro.
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Fight props
Bernard Hopkins vs. Oscar De Lay Hoya, middleweight championship bout, Saturday at the MGM Grand.

Pick the knockout round:

Odds De La Hoya will win by knockout in:

Round 1...25-1
Round 2...25-1
Round 3...25-1
Round 4...22-1
Round 5...22-1
Round 6...22-1
Round 7...15-1
Round 8...15-1
Round 9...18-1
Round 10...20-1
Round 11...20-1
Round 12...20-1

Odds Hopkins will win by knockout in:

Round 1...13-1
Round 2...13-1
Round 3...13-1
Round 4...13-1
Round 5...13-1
Round 6...12-1
Round 7...15-1
Round 8...15-1
Round 9...15-1
Round 10...13-1
Round 11...12-1
Round 12...12-1


If the fight ends in a 12-round decision or a draw, the bettor loses.

Odds from the Mirage.

[Michael_DiSanto]

Although Hopkins doesn't have a side bet with Oscar, you'd better believe he's loaded up $500k or more on himself at a sportsbook.

Mike : A little too much [img]i/expressions/wine.gif[/img] in your system ?

Like he is going to plop down 1Mil +...Okey - Dokey -Smokey.

[Oddessa]

Early this year -- before Hopkins and De La Hoya defeated separate opponents on a June 5 card at the MGM Grand -- Hopkins opened as a slight favorite, minus 115, against De La Hoya at the Mirage and its affiliated sports books (including the host property MGM).

Aghh hum.........either they are losin their minds .....................or I call Bull$hit. Hopkins was never lower than -145 and that was at Greek six months ago when the fight was announced after opening around -220, where it sits now. If there was a -115, IMO Sonny P and every other Vegas guy woulda mortgagede his house on Hops knowing it was goin back up. I do agree you may well see -170 on fight night, but alot depends on the weigh ins.

[Royler]

"Although Hopkins doesn't have a side bet with Oscar, you'd better believe he's loaded up $500k or more on himself at a sportsbook."

Wouldn't that create an amazingly lopsided line at said sportsbook?

[Oddessa]

Hopkins is a gambler, but with this payday and potentail beatin he will throw on Golden Shower, he doesnt evebn need the headache. I heard ACES GOLD has Hopkins +210.......[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] LOL.

[JoeyrollNy]

I agree weigh ins will be extremely important. I like Hopkins but if Oscar comes in under 160 I'd be afraid.

I'm bangin' heads with Oddessa once again....



Hopkins can be made to look ridiculously SLOW..Oscar will prove this.

And don't forget Joey, Boxing smells. Always remember that. Rematch.

[AnotherBadBeat]

OD , I'm told by some of my clerks that the fight will be on 100% on local tv channel 7 ..... So we're gonna get this one for Shit Sure !!!



abb


Whenever a "Latino" is involved in a main event , they always bootleg the PPV for the general pop ....

[surfin joe]

Originally posted by: Oddessa
Hopkins is a gambler, but with this payday and potentail beatin he will throw on Golden Shower, he doesnt evebn need the headache. I heard ACES GOLD has Hopkins +210.......[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] LOL.

what is their website address?

[Oddessa]

I'm bangin' heads with Oddessa once again....

If we all didn't ahve different opinions, there would be no forums. I think there are great points for each guy. I just made my choice early. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]



Surfin.................that was insider bad joke, theyw ent bust puttin up bullsit #'s and then walked out on projected millions in debt. No offense, but it as guys like you they prayed on that didnt see btwn the lines. Bad numbers usually means bad money. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Michael_DiSanto]

Hopkins typically bets with sponsor money, and he bets early. Remember, he is earning a guaranteed $10M for this fight. His % of PPV will bring his purse closer to $15M if they do the 1.5 to 1.6 M buys that they are predicting. If they hit their goal of 1.7M PPV buys, then he'll earn just over $15M.

Regardless, how did your math turn my $500k guess into over a million? I never said "to win $500k". Who needs to put down the drinks?

I guess I do...to figure you out..... [img]i/expressions/beer.gif[/img]

[Michael_DiSanto]

LOL - no doubt! I love coming here to discuss boxing!

BTW, does anyone know how much Hopkins' beat at Golden Palace moved the line in the Trinidad fight? If you remember, he bet his entire sponsorship fee from GP.com on himself to win. I know Trinidad opened as the favorite, but I can't remember how the line moved.

Oddessa? Anyone?