Betfair Official Blog

Calzaghe available at a bout-high of 4.6 at final bell on Betfair - and wins

Result takes Betfair's in-running punters by surprise

The Betfair in-running market called it totally wrong in the Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins fight earlier this morning, as the Welshman was available at [4.5] to win the fight at the final bell - the biggest price he had been at ANY STAGE of the contest.

Calzaghe started the fight as a [1.4] chance on Betfair, with Hopkins available at [3.9] and the draw [27.0].

But the American soon assumed the favourite tag in the fight, knocking down his opponent in the first round and dominating the early stages of the contest.

Hopkins himself traded at a market low of [1.4] in the fight, but Calzaghe got stronger as it progressed.

But at the final bell, Betfair punters thought Hopkins's early superiority had clearly been enough, and made him the heavy odds-on favourite to get the verdict, with Calzaghe available at 7-2, the biggest price he had been on offer in the fight on the betting exchange. The draw had been backed as low as [10.0].

But while judge Adalaide Byrd agreed with the Betfair market and thought Hopkins had done enough to edge a 114-113 verdict, Chuck Giampa (116-111) and Ted Gimza (115-112) both scored in favour of Calzaghe.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin observed: "I can't readily recall the last time a Betfair in-running market, one which saw over £1.7m traded and with all the evidence at its disposal, got it so badly wrong.

"Or maybe the reality is as someone on our forum put it: 'Perhaps the Betfair market got it right - but the judges didn't.'"