Boxing Betting Headlines | Fury vs Joshua Again, Market Watch & Fight Analysis | May, 2026
Boxing can be surprisingly hard to bet on with success. Never mind the sheer unpredictability of the sport (one punch can end things at any point), but there’s just not the best information flow on the sport. As boxing has drifted backwards in popularity, so has access to reliable boxing betting news (not even ESPN covers the “sweet science” on a regular basis).
Rather than complain about it, we’re going to change that. Fight freaks looking for a one-stop shop for boxing betting analysis have found it here. We’re telling you the biggest stories and trends influencing the sport. We update this page regularly so what you’re reading is fresh enough to inform your boxing betting picks. Here’s your must-know information:
Biggest upcoming boxing fights
We begin with the biggest fights coming to a boxing ring near you. These are the fights you absolutely have to put on your calendar right now, not just for entertainment purposes, but for betting opportunities. There’s money to be made from these upcoming bouts:
May 23 — Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven:
Sept. 19 — Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
May 30 — Dmitry Bivol vs. Michael Eifert
Sept. 19 — Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao:
Biggest boxing betting storylines in May
News and recent events very much influence what the next boxing betting trends will be. There’s always a lot happening in the sport, but these stories are the most influential right now. In case you missed it, here’s what’s happening:
- Will Tyson Fury end up fighting Anthony Joshua? Fury came out of retirement (again) to topple Arslanbek Makhmudov in early April via unanimous decision. Afterward, the “Gypsy King” called out Joshua, who was in attendance. This has been arguably boxing’s biggest fight (certainly in the United Kingdom) to make for about five years, but no contract yet. Still, there are huge paydays waiting for each fighter that you’d have to be crazy to think doesn’t end up happening. Early betting odds favor Fury (-160) to win over AJ (+130), but it’s a near toss-up.
- Garcia-Benn fight eyed for August: On the same Fury comeback card, Conor Benn scored a unanimous decision against Regis Prograis. That performance has drawn the attention of Ryan Garcia, who won his first-ever world title earlier this year against Mario Barrios. Negotiations are ongoing, but Garcia has openly said they’re trying to set up a showdown in August at 147 pounds. Early boxing odds give Garcia a sizable betting advantage at -400. Both fighters have big fan bases across oceans, so it has big-fight potential.
- Vasily Lomachenko ends retirement early: To no one's surprise, a boxer called off his retirement to announce a comeback. That's right, Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) is returning after calling it quits in June 2025. The hope is for him to fight later this year, but it's not known at what weight (he has won championships in three different divisions). When that fight is announced, it'll instantly be appointment viewing (and maybe betting) for boxing diehards given Lomachenko's past greatness.
Boxing line movements in May
As a bettor, there’s a near-unlimited amount of information to guide your picks. Fight styles, tape, recent performances, etc. But want to know arguably the most valuable piece of info? Tracking boxing line movement.
By that, we mean when boxing odds swing wildly, think a favorite becoming an underdog (or vice versa) or an underdog suddenly getting even longer odds to win. These sudden shifts don’t just happen. No, no, usually it means there’s new information (a bad weigh-in, for example) that warrants the updated odds or big money is coming in and bookies have to adjust. That latter typically comes from “sharp” bettors (the professionals).
It’s not always easy to see these big line changes in real time, it’s not like bookies announce these things out loud. And when they do happen, it's not all too common since top boxers only fight once or twice a year anyway. Regardless, we constantly pore over these odd swings, and for your convenience, we’re listing any we’ve seen as of late below:
- Mayweather opened as a meager -175 favorite over Pacquiao when the fight was first announced, but in the last month, it's climbed to -275. Interesting because out of the two, Pacquiao is the one with more fight experience as of late. At this age (both fighters nearing 50 years old), who's less rusty in the ring arguably matters more than skills when they were both in their prime (which is ages ago by now).
Most-bet boxing betting markets right now
Which bets are drawing the most money and attention right now at this moment? We’ve sourced many bettors and popular online sportsbooks to get this information, and here’s what they’re saying:
- Daniel DuBois' next fight: In perhaps the fight of the year, DuBois became the WBO heavyweight champion when he stopped Fabio Wardley on May 9. The dramatic ending came after DuBois was dropped to the canvas twice earlier in the fight. Now bettors are hammering a potential rematch (+100 odds). Other contenders to fight the new champion next are Agit Kabayel (+300) and Usyk for what would be a third time (+400). Bettors should know that Wardley has a rematch clause in his contract so +100 odds might be money right now.
- Futures bet — Dmitry Bivol vs. David Benavidez: In a complete beatdown performance, Benavidez became WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion when he stopped Gilberto Ramirez mid-fight. Benavidez used the post-fight interview to call out Canelo Alvarez and Bivol, with the latter fight being much more realistic. This has led to bettors chasing early odds on Benavidez vs. Bivol, which would likely be at light heavyweight.
Previous boxing news you might’ve missed
- [May 9]: Mayweather-Pacquio likely being rescheduled: The rematch is still on, just not on the original date and location. When first announced, the plan was to fight on September 19 at the famous Sphere arena. Now, there are talks of doing it on September 26 at the nearby T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena. Nothing has been confirmed, but it sure feels like this fight is already in chaos.
- [April 15]: Jake Paul unlikely to fight in 2026: Hate him or love him, there’s no denying Jake Paul is one of the biggest boxing draws today. However, he’s likely shelved for the rest of the year as he recovers from a broken jaw sustained at the hands of Joshua in December. He’s undergone two different surgical procedures to fix it and isn’t cleared to spar. Paul’s not completely out of boxing, though; he continues to promote fight cards under his Most Valuable Promotions banner.
- [April 5]: What’s next for Deontay Wilder: the 40-year-old heavyweight got back onto the win column, outgunning a retiring Derek Chisora in a thrilling battle. It might’ve been enough to set up a title fight against Usyk (assuming he wins his May gimmick bout). Usyk said he wants to make it happen, and Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, has been in talks with the champion's camp.
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