Boxing is still a popular sports gambling event

Sports gambling in Ireland remains very strong, particularly in horse racing and football, but as with all sports fans the Irish love to follow and gamble on their own favourite sports. Apart from the GAA sports which are of course almost exclusively Irish, one of the big participation amateur sports played in Ireland and recognised worldwide is boxing, and boxing is a sport in which the Irish have been particularly successful over the years. Amateur boxing is of course not usually the subject of sports gambling, and gambling on boxing tends to be focused on the professional side of the sport. Nevertheless it is worth mentioning the fact that the 2013 National Elite Championship Finals are due to take place this weekend at the National Stadium in Dublin. It should not be forgotten that boxing is Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport and our amateur boxers have amassed 16 Olympic medals between them. Two of our London Olympic boxers should also be congratulated this month on their improved IABA world rankings, with Darren O’Neill re-entering the top ten and Paddy Barnes rising from 7 to 6 in the light flyweight division. On the professional boxing scene, the next gambling opportunity for Irish fans of gambling on boxing also takes place this weekend, with Northern Irishman Luke Wilton attempting to win the British Flyweight title from the holder Kevin Satchell in Liverpool. Satchell will undoubtedly start overwhelming favourite to retain his title but Wilton certainly feels he is capable of springing a surprise, and as we all know boxing has a history of unexpected results over the years. Boxing is of course normally a form sport, and boxing gambling enthusiasts tend to follow the sport at all levels because the next professional fighters are bound to emerge from the amateur ranks, so keep an eye on this weekend’s finals for future potential champions.