These days, most of my attention is dedicated to politics and entertainment betting. Enough is going on within those two realms of handicapping to keep one occupied without leaving much time for traditional markets. However, on occasion, a crossover wagering opportunity presents itself at the intersection of sports and entertainment.
Today, we’ll examine some futures lines in Bovada’s celebrity boxing section, located on the online sportsbook’s “Entertainment Betting” page. But, beyond straddling the line between sports and entertainment, I believe this pick offers bettors tremendous value.
It’s incredibly unusual to find a wager with such a high probability of occurring and generous payout simultaneously — but that’s precisely how I see this prop. And I’ve noticed that celebrity boxing bouts are particularly easy to exploit for sizable wins.
The former UFC middleweight champion entered the eight-round contest as a +325 underdog. Bovada listed his opponent, Chavez Jr, who has nearly 60 professional fights under his belt, at –550.
Against the odds, The Spider outclassed the former WBC champion at his own sport, earning a split decision victory (should have been unanimous, but that’s boxing for you) and scoring his backers an excellent payday.
Now, Silva’s impressive win is setting up the next lucrative proposition market. This time, we’re wagering on the Brazilian’s next celebrity boxing opponent.
Silva Upsets Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Before we dig into the betting lines, let’s recap what happened on June 19, when Anderson Silva and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr headlined Tribute to the Kings, a seven-fight pay-per-view event in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Silva versus Chavez Jr was scheduled for eight rounds at a 180-pound catchweight. Perhaps the first sign that an upset was brewing was when the 35-year-old son of a legendary boxer missed weight by nearly five pounds.
Returning to a professional boxing ring for the first time in 16 years, the 46-year-old Silva’s quick hands and smooth footwork were on display from the start. Known throughout his MMA career for his technical striking, The Spider took the outside of the ring, picking his shots, while Chavez Jr stalked forward.
The fight was relatively even in the early frames, but as the rounds progressed, Silva grew less cautious picking shots, found his range, and started engaging more. By the end of the third round, the former UFC middleweight champ looked like vintage Spider, taunting and baiting his opponent into counters as he’d done so many times in the Octagon.
Vintage. Anderson. Silva.
In his return to the boxing ring, The Spider broke out some of the moves that made him an MMA legend 🕷 (via @FiteTV) pic.twitter.com/crZwnUYMFj
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 20, 2021
From the fourth round on, the fight was all Silva. He pushed the pace and repeatedly trapped Chavez Jr against the ropes, outworking and pummeling the younger boxer in close quarters. Defensively, Anderson’s trademark elusiveness kept Chavez Jr whiffing on his big shots.
After eight rounds of action, Anderson Silva had recorded his most impressive performance in years. The judges’ scorecards read 75-77, 77-75, and 77-75 in favor of the MMA great, making the stunning upset over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr official via split decision.
Unfortunately, while the correct combatant won, the decision should have been unanimous. Instead, whichever judge scored the bout five rounds to three in favor of Chavez Jr was blatantly in the bag for the hometown fighter.
When betting on boxing, you must always factor in the possibility of corrupt judges. Pay close attention to the location of the event and who’s promoting it. In places like Mexico, you can expect local fighters to get an edge in scoring. Competitors with connections to the fight promoter can often count on similar advantages, especially in places without a state commission overseeing the event.
Silva and his team exploded into joyous celebrating upon receiving the decision. The 46-year-old was elated to get a win after a harsh ending to his MMA career. Once the most dominant champ in the sport, Anderson had a 1-7-1 record over his final nine UFC fights, starting with losing the middleweight title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in 2013 and ending on a three-fight losing streak.
“I’m very happy,” Silva said at the post-fight press conference. “Especially because I trained hard. I never stopped training. I love my job. I’m training hard every day. I’m working hard every day. I’m happy.
“I’m very, very happy. I’m very respectful with my coaches, with my partners training and I’m so happy to be here today and to win and show my respect. I’m so happy.”
What’s Next for Anderson Silva?
| Silva’s Next Opponent | Odds |
| Logan Paul | -200 |
| Jake Paul | +200 |
| Mike Tyson | +900 |
| Oscar De La Hoya | +900 |
| Roy Jones Jr | +900 |
| Vitor Belfort | +900 |
Silva’s shockingly dominant performance was the culmination of a dream he’s carried for the entirety of his mixed martial arts career. Throughout his UFC career, the Brazilian kickboxing specialist expressed a desire to test his mettle in the boxing ring against top-tier fighters. In fact, for years, he flirted with the possibility of facing Roy Jones Jr.
Now that he’s beaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, it’s unclear what challenges The Spider will undertake next.
With Anderson Silva, it’s always hard to tell.
When asked about his fighting future, Silva was reluctant to make any definitive statements.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Now, I go back to my home, and my son has a fight very soon — a kickboxing fight, and I’ll go help my son. Maybe I fight jiu-jitsu; maybe I fight Gi or no-Gi; maybe I have next boxing fight. I don’t know. Right now, my focus is on helping my son.
“Let me tell you something; I don’t have nothing more to prove to anybody. The boxing community have shown me respect; for my opponent, I showed my respect — for the people here in Mexico. I love Mexico. I don’t know. Maybe I fight again in boxing. I’m free right now. I’m a free man.
“The future is amazing. Everything is possible. Maybe I fight again or not. Right now, my focus is enjoy my day and help my son to the next fight.”
It Won’t be Jake Paul (+200)
While Anderson didn’t commit to any future bouts, he also didn’t close any doors. Shortly after winning his match, the Brazilian superstar said he’d consider fighting either of the Paul brothers, who are blazing the path for celebrity boxing.
“They’re good boys – smart boys too, and I think that’s good for the future. Especially right now, everything’s changed in the world. People like to see the big shows. The entertaining shows.”
Jake Paul won’t rule out boxing Silva down the line, but he’s not interested in being next. Instead, the younger Paul wants Anderson and Roy Jones Jr to fight on the undercard of the YouTuber’s August 28 bout against former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Respect to Anderson Silva @spideranderson on the win….vc é uma lenda brasileira! Would be an honor to have him vs Roy Jones Jr on the same card as Tyron and I
— Paul Paul (@jakepaul) June 20, 2021
The 3-0 fighter told TMZ Sports: “Look, anything is possible, I didn’t initially think of that, but hey, like I said, my saying is ‘anyone, anytime, anyplace.’
“But I think it would be more interesting to see Anderson Silva fight Roy Jones Jr on my undercard which is what I like originally tweeted out there. Because he beat one legendary boxer let’s see if he can beat another legendary boxer and maybe there’s a fight for us down the road.”
The 24-year-old Jake then suggested that if The Spider doesn’t come to terms with Roy Jones, he may take on Logan Paul, fresh off a draw against Floyd Mayweather Jr, which he’s rightfully celebrating as a win.
“I think there’s talks of him maybe fighting my brother, but Anderson’s a nice guy and I respect him as a legend.”
Roy Jones Jr (+900)
Anderson Silva versus Roy Jones Jr is a fight that’s occupied the imaginations of fight fans for over a decade. In as early as 2008, only a few title defenses into his lengthy middleweight championship reign, the Brazilian began publicizing his desire to test his skills against the boxer, for which he held much admiration.
The UFC’s Dana White would never let his promotion’s most dominant champ risk being embarrassed competing in another sport. Finally, all the obstacles are out of the way, and the stars have aligned for Anderson and Jones.
“Yeah, absolutely — because I talked about fighting Mr. Roy Jones Jr for many, many years ago when I started fighting in the UFC,” Silva said when – before the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr bout – he was asked about maybe facing Roy Jones Jr next. “I think now is coming closer to this reality, and let’s go see. My focus is just for this fight now, and then let’s go see in the future.”
As we attempt to predict Silva’s next move, I don’t think we can overstate the impact of the length of this saga. Roy and Anderson have been thinking about this matchup for over a decade. Plus, they share immense respect for each other.
The boxer and MMA fighter also had somewhat complementary careers. They were both dominant champions with elusive counter-attacking styles and lightning-fast hands. They both like to showboat and win with style.
And look at how Anderson talks about Roy Jones Jr:
“I respect Roy Jones a lot, Roy Jones is my hero. The last night I was watching videos of Roy Jones and I’m so happy now, everything is possible.”
Jake Paul and Anderson Silva aren’t the only ones who’ve expressed interest in this dream matchup.
Malki Kawa, Tyron Woodley’s manager and a prominent figure in MMA, has announced that he’s trying to negotiate a deal to have Jones and Silva on the same card as Woodley and Jake Paul. Adding that much firepower to the undercard would almost guarantee massive PPV numbers, so it’s no wonder why Kawa is invested.
Regardless, for the sake of our +900 payout, the more parties working to make this happen, the better!
RJJ Wants the Fight
While Anderson has been open to the idea but non-committal, Roy Jones Jr is already trying to make this happen. The 52-year-old took on Mike Tyson in an eight-round exhibition fight in November 2020, which was declared a draw. However, Tyson was widely recognized as the winner.
On March 5, Jones Jr took to Instagram to challenge Silva, along with a video of the former four-division champion dancing in a boxing ring.
Chris Weidman and Ariel Helwani Think RJJ Should be Next
Voices from Anderson Silva’s past have also joined in the choruses calling for an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. Eight years ago, Chris Weidman was one of the Brazilians most heated rivals.
First, he ended Silva’s historic title reign in 2013; then, in the rematch, the new champion checked a leg kick that shattered the Brazilians lower leg – an injury from which he never fully recovered. Weidman has since suffered the same injury and, with the added perspective, has apologized to his former rival for what he experienced.
Now, the two former UFC middleweight champions are friends. Following the victory over Chavez Jr, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani went to Twitter to pose the question, “Seems like they have to do RJJ next right?” Chris Weidman quoted the tweet, adding, “I would love to see that!”
I would love to see that! https://t.co/ZcWF0P2mPy
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) June 20, 2021
I don’t know how much Anderson Silva will respond to peer pressure, but it sure does feel like everything is pointing in the same direction!
- Both combatants have wanted this for ages,
- they’re both free to book any bout they want,
- and for the first time, past-their-prime fighters have a platform on which to perform, with exhibition matches and celebrity boxing promotions gaining prominence.
Prediction: Silva vs. RJJ Exhibition in August 2021
All signs point to Roy Jones Jr versus Anderson Silva! My prediction is that they agree to compete on the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley undercard.
Jones is far more past his prime than Silva.
If the two went full force, BoxRec’s 17th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time would get embarrassed – and possibly hurt. The 46-year-old mixed martial artist just defeated someone ten years his junior in a competitive bout while RJJ looked punchy and slow against Tyson.
Because it’s relatively short notice, Silva will agree to box Jones Jr, but he will not fight with the same intensity he showed a couple of weeks ago. Instead, he will lightly spar the man he’s admired for over a decade, then set up a more competitive bout with Logan Paul for the Fall.
That’s fine by me, as long as my +900 bet on Roy Jones Jr cashes first! Jump on the Silva vs. RJJ train while there’s still time; very rarely do you find this much value for a wager that makes this much sense!
https://www.thesportsgeek.com/blog/phenomenal-value-betting-on-roy-jones-jr-as-anderson-silvas-next-opponent/
#fantasyfootball #Sports #Betting #sportsbetting #sportsbettingadvice #freepick #freepicks #sportsbettingtips #handicapping #predictions #sportspredictions #NFL #esports #espn #NBA #NHL #sportsprediction #ncaa #mlb #WNBA #prediction #nhl #nhlplayoffs #nhlpicks #nbapicks #NBAPlayoffs #NFLPlayoffs #espnsports #bettingsports #bettingtips #bettingonline #bettingexpert #basketball #football #soccer #hockey #sportspicks #ncaabasketball #foxsports #cbssports #soccerpredictions #sportingbet