The sweet science, better known as professional boxing, is positioned to provide fans worldwide with a few entertaining weekends in front of the television throughout this month.
Although there arguably aren’t any megafights to the magnitude of Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence or Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, more than enough household names are set to enter the ring in March.
We’re talking some greats of yesteryear, some just now hitting their primes, and even a big name departing the octagon and entering the ring. Together, they should make for an entertaining viewing experience, at minimum.
Here are three fights to save your wagering money for.
All odds via BetMGM
March 2nd: Amanda Serrano (42-6-1) vs. Nina Meinke (18-3-0)
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Amanda Serrano almost always delivers — her 30 knockout victories validate that sentiment. But at age 35 and entering her 50th professional fight, what should we realistically expect from one of the all-time greats whose best days are in the rearview?
Neither of Serrano’s last six wins came by way of knockout, and her opponent, Nina Meinke, has just three wins by KO to this point in her career. So, a safe bet would be this one going the distance with Serrano winning on points (+138), but a knockout (-150) wouldn’t be all that surprising, either.
March 8th: Anthony Joshua (27-3-0) vs. Francis Ngannou (0-1-0)
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are coming off of impressive performances towards the end of 2023.
Despite a split-decision loss, Ngannaou’s professional boxing debut — which included sending heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to the canvas — couldn’t have gone much better. Viewers were impressed, and now expectations are high as we head into the March 8 fight with Joshua.
Yes, high, but not high enough to make the former MMA star the favorite. Joshua is the experienced boxer who is coming off three straight victories, so why bet against him?
The payout could be why Ngannou (+275) is a desirable wager. Regardless of whoever you bet on, I’d imagine a knockout could be in order — these are some HARD hitters.
March 30th: Keith Thurman (30-1-0) vs. Tim Tszyu (24-0-0)
(Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
So, remember when I mentioned we’ll see “some greats of yesteryear, some just now hitting their primes?” Yeah, this fight fits the description. We get Keith “One Time” Thurman back in the ring for the first time in over two years to face WBO Junior middleweight champion, Tim Tszyu.
The funny thing about this fight is how many different directions it could go. Manny Pacquiao is the only person to defeat Thurman in his professional career, making a win over Tszyu to end this month a feasible outcome. But with the long layoff — two years in between fights and a shockingly low four total bouts in the last seven years — how are we honestly supposed to know what to expect from Thurman? As a result, it’s hard to advocate for any bets that don’t include a victory for Tszyu.
