Posted on 10/16/2007 4:38:10 PM

Bet on Boxing: Does McCall Present A Betting Opportunity?

By Charles Jay

This weekend in boxing the major action takes place across the pond in Germany, and headlining a card in Berlin is a rematch that has been anticipated out there for quite some time, between a long-time cruiserweight champion who is still trying to make some noise in the heavyweight division and a one-time heavyweight champ who is trying to complete an unlikely comeback.

BetUS Boxing Betting Odds:

WBC International Heavyweight Title

October 19, Germany

JUAN CARLOS GOMEZ -400

OLIVER McCALL +300

For boxing betting purposes, let's size up the contestants:

GOMEZ sports a record of 42-1 with 35 KO's, and was one of the best cruiserweights in the world (making twelve defenses of his WBC title) before moving up to a division where he thought he could make more money. He has not set the heavyweight world on fire; he has beaten Sinan Samil Sam and David Defiagbon and posted a decision win over McCall in October of 2005 that was later declared a no-contest when Gomez failed a drug test. But he has also been knocked out in one round by Yanqui Diaz, a veteran of just 11 pro bouts at the time who has proven to be something of a journeyman. Nonetheless, at about 6'4" and a southpaw possessing some boxing skills, Gomez can be a very difficult guy to fight. He's rated #4 by the WBC, and is listed at -400 on the BetUS boxing betting line.

MCCALL's credentials are interesting, to say the least. In a 17-month period in the mid-1990s, he scored consecutive wins over Lennox Lewis (KO-2) and Larry Holmes (W-12), and scored a one-round knockout over Oleg Maskaev, who is still the official WBC heavyweight champ (Sam Peter's interim crown notwithstanding). Then came February of 1997 and the virtual breakdown McCall suffered in the rematch with Lewis, where McCall was trying to win back the WBC title he had lost a year and a half earlier to Frank Bruno.

McCall (51-8, 36 KO's), now age 42, hasn't gotten another shot at a world title since then. Of course, a few things happened to him, like drug problems and prison. Along the way, though, he's also chalked up a few significant wins, some of which might be considered upsets. He knocked out former WBO champ Henry Akinwande in November of 2001, stopped former European champion Przemyslaw Saleta in August of '05, knocked out Yanqui Diaz (Gomez's only conqueror) last December, and in his last bout on June 16, went to Turkey and scored a 12-round decision over native son Sinan Samil Sam, elevating himself to #2 in the WBC ratings. McCall is listed at +300 on the BetUS betting line.

There is no question that McCall is capable of pulling upsets, and should not be counted out against anything but the upper rung of heavyweights. Gomez does not circulate in that upper rung, but perhaps it is instructive to look back at his previous fight with McCall, just two years ago, in which at the end of ten rounds he was the winner by two points on one judge's card and six points on the other two. McCall, who still has his punching power, obviously prefers an opponent who will stand and fight him but Gomez was too elusive; he moved and stayed busy and in general served to frustrate the "Atomic Bull" in that one. “I don’t respect guys like Gomez, who try to cheat to get an edge,” was what McCall has said, although one would have to stretch in explaining how ingesting cocaine would afford an edge to a fighter.

By the way, if you're looking for a "home team" in this fight, it is Gomez, the Cuban defector who turned pro in Germany and has fought there 39 times, although it deserves mention that McCall beat Lewis in England and, as mentioned, Sam in Turkey. Because styles make fights, and Gomez's style has already proven to be too troublesome for McCall, I'm not sure I see very much here to send me back the other way. Southpaws are a rather rare commodity in the heavyweight division, and when one of them fights safety first and can stay active at the same time, it becomes a difficult experience for an opponent who wants to dig in and tee off. Therefore, I'm going to side with Gomez in this one, laying the -400 price at BetUS.

Some quick betting notes on other fights:

IBF Super Middleweight Title

October 19, Montreal

LUCIAN BUTE -500

ALEJANDRO BERRIO +350

-- Bute is moving up in class of opponent, and Berrio can really hit, but he's also got a very suspect chin. Bute is the "home" fighter in this one, and Berrio has the puncher's chance.

WBA Middleweight Title

October 20, Germany

FELIX STURM -800

RANDY GRIFFIN +550

-- Griffin can be troublesome to a degree, but he's not a dangerous puncher and isn't used to fighting at this level of competition.

Betting on boxing has never been so easy and you can get your bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook. Go to Other Sports: Boxing. Find tons of props on the fight and the fighters in the Future / props section as well!

(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com is a former manager, matchmaker and color commentator in professional boxing. He currently pulls no punches in the BetUS Locker Room)