With 2018 drawing to a close it feels like an opportune time to have an early look through some of the major horse races that will take place at home, and around the world, in 2019.

Pegasus World Cup (January 26th)

The 2019 Pegasus will be a two-race event this year, one a $9 million race on the dirt and now a $7 million turf race has been added to the card at Gulfstream Park as well.

All the ante-post interest is naturally around the original dirt race and at  $500,000 a pop entry fee it is easy to see why.

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Accelerate heads the market, closely followed by the Dirt Mile victor City of Light.

Pegasus World Cup odds: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing/

Cheltenham Gold Cup (March 15th)

The 2018 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River, ridden by Richard Johnson in a thrilling finish that saw him just fend off the challenge from Might Bite.

This year’s race has a very open look to it at this stage with plenty of reputations being damaged already so far this season.

Presenting Percy, who is yet to be seen on a racecourse this term, leads the betting with Native River also being prominent in the market too.

Gold Cup Betting: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1004604835

 

Grand National (April 6th)

The Grand National is the most popular jumps race on the racing calendar as 40 runners tackle the 30 Grand National fences over the course of four and a half miles.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll, who claimed his third Cheltenham Festival success in the Cross Country Chase in March before winning the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree the following month, has been targeted at the race once again.

Grand National odds: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1004627902

 

Kentucky Derby (May 4th)

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May every year, and typically draws a crowd of 160,000 people.

The Kentucky Derby is the first race within the American Triple Crown, where it is followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

The Bob Baffert-trained Game Winner is currently leading the points scorer on the Road To The Kentucky Derby table and is the 8/1 favourite at present.

Kentucky Derby odds: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1005109396

2000 Guineas (May 4th)

The first race in the British Champions Series and the curtain-raising Classic of the Flat season. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, over one mile in early May.

Too Darn Hot, who ended last season unbeaten as Britain’s champion juvenile is tipped to sweep up all the major prizes before him in 2019 and is ranked a 6/4 shot for this Classic opener.

2000 Guineas odds: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1004760113

 

1000 Guineas (May 5th)

Hot on the heels of the 2000 Guineas is the second Classic of the Flat season, the 1000 Guineas which is open to three-year-old fillies.

It is run on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket, and again over one mile.

The Rockfel Stakes winner Just Wonderful, who is trained by the Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien, is currently heading the betting at 10/1.

1000 Guineas odds:  https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1004760125

 

The Oaks (May 31st)

Just like the 1000 Guineas, the Investec Oaks is a fillies-only Classic, run at Epsom Downs over the same mile-and-a-half distance as the Derby a day later.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Iridessa is attracting plenty of support in the betting.

She provided O’Brien with his first Group 1 win as a trainer in Britain when landing the bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket back in the autumn.

Oaks betting:  https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1004941348

 

The Derby (June 1st)

The Derby bills itself as “the greatest flat race in the world” and that is pretty much as near a description you will get about this historic Classic.

The race remains the pinnacle of any racehorse’s career and is the most prestigious of the five Classics.

As was eluded to earlier in this article, Too Darn Hot is by far the most popular horse ante-post punters wish to follow in 2019 and he is 3/1 poke for Epsom’s blue-riband event.

Royal Ascot (June 18th - June 22nd)

The five days of the Royal Meeting get underway on Tuesday 18th June and understandably there are far too many races to list here.

However, here at 888sport we do have three of the main feature races priced up for you already:

Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe (October 6th)

The 97th edition of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will certainly go down in history for two good reasons.

English filly Enable and Frankie Dettori will forever be the only pair to win two consecutive runnings of the Arc on two different racecourses - Chantilly in 2017 and ParisLongchamp in 2018.

The second reason being that it was Dettori’s 6th Arc title, an all-time record in the history of Europe’s greatest horse race.

The wonder filly stays in training in 2019 for another crack at the Arc for which she is a 7/2 chance.

Arc betting: https://www.888sport.com/horse-racing-betting/#/event/1005073424

 

SUMMARY

Naturally ante-post wagering does come with its pitfalls, especially if your selection fails to make the event.

It can however prove to be very lucrative, and with a little bit of foresight and imagination you can end up with a great price on your long term fancy.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Challow Novices’ Hurdle this Saturday is a Grade 1 Race run at Newbury over 2 miles 4½ furlongs and Novice Hurdlers aged four and older are eligible to run in it.

Previous winners have included Bonanza Boy, Large Action, Bindaree, Denman, Witchita Lineman and Reve de Sivola.

 

Challow Trends (Last 10 Years)

• 10/10 - Had won no more than 3 times over hurdles before.
• 10/10 - The last 10 winners have been aged 4, 5, or 6.
• 10/10 - Had raced in the last 8 weeks.
• 10/10 – Had placed in the top three last time out.
• 10/10 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting. SPs of the winners have ranged from 4/11 to 8/1.
• 9/10 - Went onto run at the Cheltenham Festival producing one winner (Wichita Lineman, 2006).
• 8/10 winners were rated 137 or higher
• 5/10 – Were winning favourites.
• 3/10 – Trained by Jonjo O’Neill .JP McManus has owned 2 of the last 8 winners.
• 3/10 winners ran in the Classic Novices Hurdle next with two of them winning.
• 2/10 – Were ridden by Daryl Jacob.
• 2/10 – Were trained by Nick Williams.

 

Main Contenders

Champ (Nicky Henderson)

Champ has lived up to his name thus far this season winning on his last three starts over hurdles by a combined distance of 25 lengths.

He was very impressive last time out, heading to the front and holding on with ease to win a big handicap at Newbury.

He is a course-and-distance winner too and it is totally understandable why he is at the top of the market.

 

Coolanly (Fergal O'Brien)

Coolanly has run in decent company since being beaten by Vinndication on his hurdles debut.

He was made favourite when falling in a Grade 2 at Chepstow on his seasonal debut but made up for that with victory in another Grade 2 at Cheltenham last time.

He officially has 7lb to find with Champ but he is trained by last year’s winning trainer Fergal O’Brien who will eke out every last drop of improvement in him.

 

Brewin'Upastorm (Olly Murphy)

Olly Murphy’s got off the mark over hurdles at the first time of asking.

It is hard to tell whether he beat much in that hurdle at Huntingdon but there is plenty of scope for improvement and the punters appear to like him in the horse racing betting market.

 

Kateson (Tom Lacey)

Finished second in the bumper at the Grand National Meeting and has won both his hurdle races thus far. He was backed into favouritism for both those wins.

Kateson is a course-and-distance winner on similar ground to what he will encounter on Saturday and has shaped like a class animal this term.

He is officially rated 9lb inferior to Champ but could easily serve it up to him on Saturday.

 

Getaway Trump (Paul Nicholls)

Paul Nicholls’ five-year-old was visually impressive as he powered away from his rivals last time out at Exeter.

That race may have been over two miles only but he has won over this extended trip already this season and looks to be a horse on an upward spiral.

 

Alsa Mix (Alan King)

A winning point-to-pointer, the grey mare ran in a couple of bumpers in September and November, winning them both.

She surprisingly went off at odds of 12/1 at Sandown on her hurdles debut and duly won, beating Darlac and Mercy Mercy Me in the process.

Her trainer won this race in 2016 and he comes into this battle with an unbeaten horse.

 

Conclusion

With a multitude of hotpots taking a thumping over the Christmas holiday period it is a very difficult time to be a favourite backer at the moment.

Tom Lacey is currently a trainer very much in form and his Kateson looks destined for bigger and greater things. He is the selection to take on the favourite with.

888sport suggests: Kateson (win).

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The world of combat sports is often considered to be the ultimate in sporting competition. When the opening bell rings, it's one on one, with few external factors involved in deciding the identity of the winner.

One factor that does play a part, however, is home advantage. Some of the world's best fighters take full advantage of the ability to compete in friendly territory, where they often produce their best performances.

Here are five fighters from the sports of boxing and mixed martial arts whose propensity to produce the goods in front of their own fans has meant facing them in the ring or the cage is an uphill struggle from the very first bell.

The Underappreciated Champion: Joe Calzaghe

Welsh wonder Joe Calzaghe still doesn’t get the full recognition his career deserves, and it’s more than likely as a result of where he fought.

Calzaghe fought outside of Great Britain just four times in his 46-fight career, and only fought twice in the United States – in his final two bouts against Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Calzaghe took on and beat the best in the world during his career. He dethroned the great Brit Chris Eubank in a thriller in Sheffield, England to capture the WBO super-middleweight world title, and he went on to defend the belt an incredible 21 times.

His dismantling of Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy remains one of the best performances ever seen by a British boxer in a world title fight as he completely outclassed the big-punching American, who at the time was considered to be the next big thing at 168lbs.

Calzaghe then went on to defeat gritty Danish star Mikkel Kessler before heading Stateside for his only two fights in America as he outpointed Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr in his final two appearances before retirement. 

Had Calzaghe fought in the US earlier in his career, it would undoubtedly have boosted his reputation in boxing’s financial heartland. He returned as a rarity in the sport, a legitimately undefeated world champion, with a stellar record of 46-0 with 32 knockouts.

He was always a star in Wales and the rest of the UK, but his skills undoubtedly deserved more credit in the United States.

 

The Stay-At-Home Champion: Sven Ottke

Talk to a casual boxing fan about Sven Ottke and they’ll either tell you they’ve never heard of him, or they’ll say that he was a flat-track bully who never left his comfort zone.

Ottke fought outside of his native Germany just once in his undefeated 34-fight career, and captured the IBF super-middleweight world champion in his 13th career fight.

Once he got his hands on championship gold, Ottke made it his business to do everything he could to keep his hands on it.

That meant a risk-averse approach to his career that saw him steer well clear of any of the other elite-level super-middleweights in the world at the time in favour of bouts against mid-ranking fighters with less knockout risk.

Ottke’s career management also extended to where he fought, as he steadfastly refused to defend his title anywhere but in his home nation.

He defended his IBF title 21 consecutive times, winning 16 of them on the scorecards, some of them controversially.

It was pointed out that he often fought with every hometown advantage possible, with the bouts taking place in Germany, with German referees and German judges for many of his fights.

It proved a successful combination, as Ottke retired undefeated at 34-0, but for those who remember his career at the time, there will always be an asterisk over “The Phantom’s” career as a world champion.

 

The Stadium Filler: Anthony Joshua

From the moment he captured Olympic gold on home soil at London 2012, Anthony Joshua was a national hero in Great Britain. That success has led to packed houses across the UK ever since, and there is no need to leave his home nation to compete overseas.

His star power is such that he not only generated huge pay-per-view revenues in the UK, but his fights also still grab the attention of fight fans in the United States.

His situation is a stark contrast from that of his predecessor, Wladimir Klitschko, who lived and competed mostly in Germany during his heavyweight title reign.

While Klitschko's boring style meant he was a turn-off for US TV viewers, Joshua's knockout power and penchant for exciting, action-packed fights means he's a sure-fire hit Stateside.

He's the heavyweight champion of the world, he's undefeated, he fills football stadiums and he's a pay-per-view hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Why on earth would he give that up to fight overseas?

 

Master Of His Own Destiny: Floyd Mayweather Jr

Whether you prefer him as “Pretty Boy Floyd” or the brash, trash-talking “Money Mayweather”, Floyd Mayweather has forged a legendary career that has seen him go 50-0 against the best of the best at his weight.

While some champions have been accused of ducking opponents in their careers, Mayweather has perfected the art building interest in fights to fever-pitch levels before then taking on the challenge and coming through victorious.

Few fighters have the level of control over their careers that Mayweather has achieved, particularly later in his career, which has been contested exclusively on American soil.

In his 35th career bout, he defeated Sharmba Mitchell in November 2005 in Portland, Oregon. Since then, he has fought exclusively in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fifteen consecutive fights in Sin City saw Mayweather take on the world’s best, including Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana and Manny Pacquiao.

In his latest bout, he earned his biggest-ever payday when he fought former two-division UFC world champion, Conor McGregor.

Mayweather’s run of fighting at home is set to come to an end as he has agreed to a three-round exhibition bout against kickboxing world champion Tenshin Nasukawa at Japanese martial arts promotion Rizin’s New Year’s Eve show at the end of 2018.

 

King Of Myanmar: Aung La N Sang

“The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang may not be a household name in the United States or across Europe, but the Myanmar-born fighter is a bonafide superstar in Asia’s biggest martial arts organisation, ONE Championship.

The American-based mixed martial arts star has a mixed record overall, but since rising to the heights in ONE Championship, he has been given the opportunity to fight in the country of his birth where, he has been simply unbeatable.

N Sang has fought six times at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium, including in each of his last five matchups, and he has produced spectacular winning performances each time as he captured the ONE middleweight and light-heavyweight titles.

His walkouts are among the most electric in combat sports, his fans are among the most passionate and his fights in Yangon are simply must-see TV.

Put simply, “The Burmese Python” in the Thuwunna is a force to be reckoned with, and one of the most dominant forces in combat sports today. It’s going to take a very special athlete, and a very special performance, to defeat him on home soil.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The highlight of the racing calendar over the busy Christmas period is undoubtedly the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

The race, which is run over a distance of three miles, negotiating eighteen fences, is now the second most prestigious chase in England, surpassed only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The last ten renewals of the race have been dominated by horses trained by Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Colin Tizzard.

Here is a look at the trends and statistics on the King George VI Chase based on the last ten years:

Age (wins-placed-runners)

5-y-o: 0-0-1

6-y-o: 1-5-14

7-y-o: 2-5-22

8-y-o: 4-4-7

9-y-o: 2-2-15

10-y-o: 0-2-8

11-y-o+: 1-0-5

It could be argued that horses aged six to nine have the slight edge over their older peers in the race in recent years, but it is not a clear-cut trend.

 

Recent Form

• Nine of the last ten winners were officially rated 172 or higher.
• Nine of the last ten winners ran in the last forty days.
• Ten of the last ten winners had won over three miles plus.
• Ten of the last ten winners had won at least one Grade One chase.
• Nine of the last ten winners had won at Kempton before over the race distance.

 

Trainer Form

• Paul Nicholls has won five of the last ten renewals.
• Nicky Henderson had notable success with Long Run in this race before Might Bite came along.
• Colin Tizzard broke the Nicholls/Henderson stranglehold on this race in 2015 and 2016.
• Irish trained runners have a very poor record in this race, boasting just three winners in the last forty years. Those winners were: Florida Pearl (2001) and Kicking King (2004, 2005).

 

Significant Races

• Record of the previous year’s winner: 11132U1P4
• Betfair Chase winner: 117112111
• Cheltenham Gold Cup winner: 1112
• First three home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup: 311121P1U
• Charlie Hall Chase winner: P41

 

Starting Price

• The last ten winners came from the first three in the horse racing betting markets.
• Six favourites have won in the last ten renewals.
• All the winners since 2005 have been priced 9/2 or shorter.

 

Runner-By-Runner Guide

Bristol De Mai

Won the Betfair Chase again in fine style and strangely does not get all the plaudits and recognition that he deserves.

Many unfairly describe him as a “one trick pony” but he will be out to set the record straight on Boxing Day as he chases down the lucrative second leg of the Jockey Club Triple Crown prize.

 

Clan Des Obeaux

The six-year-old ran a creditable race in the Betfair Chase coming along with a sustained challenge a couple of fences from home, before just fading back.

The suspicion with him is that he likes it fairly soft and he does not look like getting that type of ground on Boxing Day.

 

Coneygree

A former Gold Cup winner but he has been dogged with niggles and injuries ever since.

He ran a blinder of a race in the BetVictor Chase at Cheltenham last time out given the length of time he had been off the track. He will certainly have plenty of each-way punters following him.

 

Double Shuffle

Trained by Tom George, the eight-year-old ran second to Might Bite in this race last year and Kempton clearly brings out the best in him.

He ran well at Aintree last time out and is another who looks well over-priced.

 

Might Bite

Last year’s winner but comes into this race on the back of a spectacular flop in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.

He is the type of horse to bounce right back and understandably he is the favourite once again for this contest.

 

Native River

Another Gold Cup winner in the field and the most recent one at that.

He ran a great race behind Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase and you cannot imagine him finishing out of the frame in this renewal of the King George. Which one of the top three places he occupies is the million dollar question here?

 

Politologue

After winning the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot there is plenty to like about this Paul Nicholls-trained grey and he should stay out the distance.

If he wins this race he will evoke many good memories of another grey and former King George VI winner, the legendary Desert Orchid.

 

Tea For Two

Has 19lb to find on Native River and would be a shock winner of this race. His last win came at Aintree in 2017 when he won the Bowl but he has shown nothing since.

 

Thistlecrack

His comeback race at Haydock was very encouraging and it showed there was still plenty of fire in his belly.

A reproduction of that run must put him in with a shout on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Waiting Patiently

Ruth Jefferson's stable star has not been seen on a racecourse since beating Cue Card in February's Ascot Chase and his comeback run will be right in at the deep end here.

The seven-year-old has been well supported in the betting but this will be a really major ask and others look better equipped on this occasion.

 

CONCLUSION

Nigel Twiston-Davies looks to be in a prime position to put the naysayers to bed with his Bristol De Mai and the seven-year-old can add to his Betfair Chase victory by taking this.

Native River and Might Bite are our predictions to chase him home.

888sport suggests: Bristol De Mai (win).

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

In the promised realm of heavyweight boxing, the last five years have been dominated by three major names – Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.

All three have their rival merits, and each has his ardent supporters who firmly believe that he is the greatest of the current era.

In the fashion of great heavyweights before them, all have stepped up and done the business at flashpoint moments in their respective careers.

Yet, this coming winter, boxing fans will have the starkest reason yet to wax lyrical about one of them.

Fury vs Wilder: Fight On?

As of the start of the 2018/19 boxing season, Joshua held three titles (WBA, IBF & WBO), while only the WBC had Deontay Wilder as their disputed champion.

Though without a belt at that time, Tyson Fury’s rise up the rankings after an enigmatic career to date, puts him firmly in the same league as Wilder and Joshua. Combined, all three men have a monstrous fight record of 88 wins and no draws or losses.

Belts aside, there appears little to separate them – but in the winter of 2018, one (or both) of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will lose their undefeated status.

It is set to be a fight on par with the famous December 2007 PPV bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Ricky Hatton, and the result will create huge ripples in the heavyweight division.

A defeat for Wilder, which is currently priced at just 13/20 in boxing betting, would represent more than just a lost fight.

Wilder: "I want a body on my record. I want one, I really do." 

What an absolute idiot. pic.twitter.com/0UNRryzXvn

— 888sport (@888sport) April 2, 2018

It would also represent the loss of his chance to emulate Floyd Mayweather Jr’s new 50-0 all-time record, and almost certainly make a marketable ‘prime-on-prime’ bout with Joshua almost impossible.

Tyson Fury also works best when he has nothing to lose. His early stardom went straight to his head, but as an apparently-changed man, his hunger for success is now greater than it has ever been before.

At this point, the man from Wythenshawe has said little other than that “it will be an epic battle”. Should the projected agendas of each fighter go the way of bookmakers’ expectations, a Joshua v Wilder unification match in April 2019 is anticipated.

Should that all-defining meeting of undefeated titans become a reality after Fury v Wilder, then an age-old boxing adage will once more apply – the fight won and lost long before the combatants touch gloves and come out fighting.

The First Ten Fights

Chronologically, the genesis of a win comes from the very birth of a fighter-to-be.

The (invariably challenging) circumstances in which they grow up, how they are trained to make the most of their fighting instinct, the resources they have, and who they initially fight as professionals are all differential factors in their ultimate fate.

Both Wilder and Fury turned professional in 2008, giving them a five-year edge over Joshua in terms of experience. All three men enjoyed the professional’s typical run to 10-0 against relatively-easy opposition.

However, Joshua may hold something of an advantage, having taken just nine fights to win a belt sanctioned by a recognised international boxing organisation, in the form of the WBC International heavyweight title.

Making It Stateside

Beyond the first piece of tangible silverware, the typical path of the world heavyweight champion becomes less clear-cut.

Depending on the quality of opposition, travelling to fight foreign opponents on their own turf can be rewarding or chastening, but it invariably turns challengers into contenders, as the boxer in question sees his international presence grow.

This is particularly true of non-U.S fighters getting wins in the States, and remarkably – by April 2019 – all of Joshua’s professional fights will have taken place on British soil, including when he faces Povetkin at Wembley as 1/10 favourite.

Though it would do his abilities a disservice to suggest that fighting away from British shores would hamper his killer instinct, his lack of a real presence in the States can only be a hindrance towards anyone who wants to declare him as the greatest British talent ever in good conscience.

By contrast, it only took fellow Brit Tyson Fury thirteen fights to cross the Atlantic, beating Zack Page by unanimous decision in Quebec City eight years ago.

His maiden match in the U.S against an American (Steve Cunningham) was also a watershed moment for Fury. The seventh-round knockout win put him within two fights of his first international level belt – namely, the WBO international heavyweight title.

Another two fights later, Fury unified four belts at Vladimir Klitschko’s expense.

Defining Battles And Difficulty Of Defence

In the professional career of any heavyweight legend, there has always been a defining battle. For Muhammad Ali, his 1964 knockout of the universally-feared Sonny Liston was just that; as was Mike Tyson’s record-breaking knockout of Trevor Berbick two decades later.

While Fury v Wilder will certainly define a lot in its own right, all three of Fury, Wilder and Joshua have already had watershed fights – but identifying the toughest of these is up for debate.

Fury’s obvious fight of this ilk would, naturally, be the aforementioned unification victory over Klitschko in November 2015.

Tyson Fury on Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder ? 

“I will beat them both twice. Just to show them how sh*t they really are. I’m the greatest boxer that’s ever lived in the heavyweight division.” 

Nothing like blowing your own trumpet... pic.twitter.com/U2hixKpg3F

— 888sport (@888sport) August 11, 2018

Nearly eighteen months later, Joshua would beat that same opponent to win the WBA (Super) and IBO belts, succeeding where Fury failed by stopping the Ukrainian in the eleventh round.

While a more impressive feat on paper, eighteen months is a long time for a boxer that – like Klitschko – is on the professional wane.

Though this does nothing to help settle the debate as to which Brit had the harder task, in claiming multiple belts in a single fight for the first time, Joshua’s subsequent fights have been far more demanding.

Fury immediately faced thirty-nine-year-old Sefer Seferi and took only four rounds to make his opponent’s corner concede defeat.

He then faced Francesco Pianeta, of Italy, who had lost two of his last three fights. Joshua, meanwhile, followed up his own win over Klitschko with victories over much worthier opponents – namely, Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker.

Split Decision

While it is easy to say that Joshua’s last two fights have been more challenging than Fury’s, the proverbial jury is still very much out, as to whether Joshua has also worked harder than Wilder over the past year.

Such is Wilder’s ability he has made most of his opponents look ordinary, after winning the WBC heavyweight title from Bermane Stiverne in January 2015.

Ironically, he reserved his best for what was seen as the greatest threat to his defence, which was the Stiverne rematch that got no further than the first round.

In his most recent bout, Wilder forced to wait until the tenth round to stop the previously unbeaten Luis Ortiz, which gives some credibility to the idea that Wilder is now finding himself in a losing race to reach that fabled 50-0.

Ultimately, Joshua’s trajectory has been the sharpest overall. Wilder’s 40-0 record tells a tale of its own, but winning international honours within the first ten professional fights of a pro career is a rarity these days.

Joshua’s quickfire rise, from Olympian to international champion, should be enough to at least put him on course to be the best of the current ‘big three’, if he isn’t strictly so already.

That noted, the battle to succeed is as much within oneself as it is in the ring, and for that reason, people who want to declare Fury as the greatest force of heavyweight boxing have some very real, and tangible, verbal ammunition.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

BIRMINGHAM CITY vs Stoke City: Best Bets

Blues – 9/5

Draw – 21/10

Stoke – 8/5

Who saw that coming? Oh yeah, we did. Birmingham were rampant against Wigan Athletic on December 23rd – putting three goals past the Latics in a superb away performance.

The Blues will be looking to follow up with a home win over Stoke City on Boxing Day…

Garry Monk’s side are 9/5 to claim three points against the Potters and Blues fans will be quietly confident of notching another home triumph.

Birmingham have lost just one of their last 16 league games at St Andrew’s and it would be foolish to back against the hosts here.

As tipped in our Wigan Athletic preview, Che Adams got his name on the scoreboard with his 11th goal of the Championship campaign.

Now leading the way as Birmingham’s top goal scorer this season, Adams is 9/4 to add another to his tally.

The Blues have been one of the most consistent teams in the Championship going forward; Birmingham have scored 35 goals in 23 second tier games.

A win here will keep Monk’s men above Stoke and the Blues could finish Boxing Day as high as seventh in the table.

Expecting the Potters to roll over would be foolish – Stoke will give a decent account in this clash.

Gary Rowett’s side have been in decent form as of late and a goal in both halves at 17/20 is well worth considering.

7/4 for Birmingham to score over 1.5 goals this weekend and plenty of punters will be keen to back the Blues at that price.

The selection has landed in eight of Birmingham’s last 10 league fixtures in 2018/19.

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888sport customers will fancy the Blues at 9/5 to secure yet another home win. However, siding with the 7/4 for over 1.5 home goals may be the best bet.

Monk’s men are firing on all cylinders right now and it would take a brave man to write Birmingham off.

Prediction: Birmingham 2-1 Stoke (8/1)

Bet of the day: Over 1.5 Blues goals (7/4)

Outside punt: Birmingham to score in both halves (10/3)

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Boxers don’t have an old timer’s place, and certainly don’t age like wine.

While some boxers have the privilege of quitting at a ripe old age, looking back on a stellar career, others do so prematurely and with a twinge of regret.

Even now, some boxers who are still currently active are looking set to leave the industry in the latter way, unless fate intervenes drastically.

Here, we look at several boxers who remain underrated, because their achievements have not matched their skills (or vice-versa) and some who were simply overhyped before their time.

Andre Ward: Oh, What Could Have Been

It is rare to see anyone enjoy the same upward momentum that Ward did through the divisions.

Today, there are a few names that stand prominently as potential fast-movers, including that of lightweight sensation Vasyl Lomachenko, who faces Jose Pedraza as favourite in December 2018.

Though he is just one of several men who could be fast movers in the coming years, it may be a whole generation until a man shows such drastic movement towards greater stardom after lesser beginnings.

Back in 2017, ‘model’ boxer Andre Ward called it a day at the age of thirty-three, having retired as the world pound-for-pound number one.

He held three belts at the time, creating the potential for chaos as a perfect flush of undisputed champions across the divisions remains elusive.

Ward also bowed out with a 32-0 record, and while he retired undefeated, it is a record that becomes ever more eclipsed by the men who went into 2018/19 holding the heavyweight titles he once could have targeted.

Instead of being compared to the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya, Ward will be seen by some as a ‘nearly man’ for as long as the Earth revolves around the sun.

In the decade prior to 2017, Floyd Mayweather was unquestionably the major draw for PPV events, and an accomplished headliner.

Though Mayweather was perhaps aided by his status as a heavyweight, Ward’s marketability – particularly in light of his Ring Magazine ‘Comeback of the Year’ in 2016 – was nowhere near sufficiently capitalised upon.

It could well transpire that the residual hype from his knockout win over Sergey Kovalev will sustain his legacy. Defeating a man who dominated the super middleweight division in his day was a fitting end to Ward’s career.

However, the fact that Ward saw the heavyweight division as a step too far indicates that he valued self-preservation over increased recognition.

Though opinions are divided, Ward’s more ardent acolytes will assert that his refusal to make a stab at the top division – or at least take on Adonis Stevenson – made him miss out on a G.O.A.T status that was within grasping distance.

 

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez: Definition Of Overhyped?

From a popularity perspective, Mexican pugilist Alvarez was always doomed to be at a relative disadvantage fighting stateside.

Despite being akin to a national hero on the right side of thirty, with a 50-1-2 record including thirty-four knockouts, some believe that Alvarez has left it relatively late to have the ‘moment’ that truly defines him as a great.

While his defeat of Gennady Golovkin in September 2018 gave him two belts, the fact that he was held to a majority decision keeps his sceptics rich in opinionated ammunition.

Indeed, it was the second successive decision he had been held to by Golovkin, and the first was considered by some experts to be a split decision in favour of Golovkin, rather than a draw.

Going further back, his litany of underachievement includes being held to decision win by the inferior Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, an all-too-easy loss to Floyd Mayweather, and a laboured knockout win over Amir Khan.

There is still some degree of hope that his WBA (Regular) super middleweight fight against Rocky Fielding will be seen as a flashpoint moment in his career many years from now, even if the odds against Fielding in the boxing betting are astoundingly long.

 

Speaking Of Chavez...

Having a father with a legendary legacy in the squared circle is never easy, and comparisons between sire and son are always inevitable.

While his record is 50-3-1, issues with weight and lifestyle have scuppered all chances that Chavez Jr has of ever being seen as half the boxer his father was.

He is as much a victim of circumstance as his own worst enemy, with the family connections to the sport resulting in him being trained by uncles that were said to have prioritised his desire to impress over his hunger to fight.

Switching to Freddie Roach in 2010 was a step in the right direction, and within a year, Chavez had scalped his first major title, winning the WBC middleweight belt via majority decision from Sebastian Zbik.

There is also a general feeling that his work ethic also looks comparatively contemptible.

In the opinion of some who also share this view, his very name has also swayed judges in some of his less clear-cut decision wins, with his victories over the aforementioned Sebastian Zbik, and his first of two over Brian Vera, being cases in point.

As much as weight and self-discipline has been an issue away from the ring, so too has size been inside it – or, more specifically, the lack thereof in several of Chavez’ notable opponents.

He was shown up as a man incapable of going anywhere in the divisions after his chastening loss to Andrzej Fonfara.

 

No Room For Tyson?

In strict terms of tangible achievement, men that have previously held three heavyweight titles do not belong in any list of ‘overrated’ or ‘underachieving’ boxers.

However, many believe that Tyson Fury’s win over Wladimir Klitschko was little more than a ‘passing of the torch’, as a much younger man claims an expected win over an elderly – and very lethargic – opponent.

Whatever people make of Fury’s victory on that night, there can be no denying that the fight itself will go down as a relatively mediocre spectacle, which never came close to justifying the hype and its PPV figures.

His enigmatic personality has also prevented him from focusing as much on his hunger to fight as he needs to.

With a long reach and domineering presence against all opponents, it may take something as trivial as a recruitment drive to give Fury any fighting chance of taking Wilder’s place as the reigning WBC heavyweight title holder.

Yet, his weak chin is a haven for classic ‘in-fighters’, and finding the right person to change his mentality takes much more ingenuity that simply hiring the best trainer that money can buy.

Only an unthinkable brace of knockout wins, over Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, could ever hope to change that.

With Wilder being odds-on to beat Fury any time and any place, he and Joshua appear unstoppable in the short-term, and this leaves Fury on the threshold of the A-list, but with no apparent means of getting into the rarified air... yet.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Wigan Athletic vs BIRMINGHAM CITY: Best Bets

Wigan – 27/20

Draw – 21/10

Blues – 11/5

Birmingham showed great resilience and spirit to salvage a draw from two-nil down against Blackburn Rovers last weekend.

With 77 minutes on the clock, Garry Monk’s side looked down and out but two goals in three minutes was enough to nick a point.

Another away fixture beckons this weekend, with the Blues at 11/5 to claim three points at the DW Stadium.

Birmingham are currently 10^th in the Championship table having acquired 31 points so far this season – six more than Wigan.

After two matches without a win, Birmingham will be hungry to notch a huge victory this weekend.

Monk’s side will take some stopping against a Wigan side that have won just one of their last nine Championship outings.

With that in mind, 2/1 for Birmingham to score two or more goals looks a huge price.

This tip has landed in seven of their last nine league games and 888sport customers should take those odds before kick-off.

The Latics have scored 23 goals in 22 Championship matches and Birmingham will be eyeing up a clean sheet here.

13/5 could turn out to be a huge price if the Blues defence remains organised from start to finish.

Birmingham’s strength lies in attack though and Che Adams could be the one to watch this weekend.

With seven goals in his last 10 games, Adams is a solid bet at 5/2 to get his name on the scoresheet at the DW Stadium.

At longer odds, 19/5 for Birmingham to score in both halves is worth a speculative punt.

The Blues will want to head into Christmas on a high and we could see plenty of goals in this encounter.

That 2/1 for over 1.5 away goals is the best bet ahead of this contest.

The Wigan floodgates could open if Birmingham grab an early opener and the travelling fans could have another happy journey home with a bit of luck.

Prediction: Wigan 1-2 Birmingham (10/1)

Bet of the day: Over 1.5 Blues goals (2/1)

Outside punt: Birmingham to score in both halves (19/5)

Enhanced Wincast: Lukas Jutkiewicz to score and Blues win (6/1)

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*