Boxing Betting This Month | Romero vs Lopez All Set, Fight Trends & Market Watch | August, 2026

by Daniel Feliciano

Updated: August 5, 2026

The heavyweight division remains the centre of attention in boxing world this month, as eyes turn away from Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and instead turn towards Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic.

Itauma will take on Hrgovic on August 29th, in London, and enters the bout as a huge -710 favorite. But he will be stepping into the ring for arguably the biggest challenge of his young career so far, as Hrgovic enters as a +400 underdog.

We’ll also see Claressa Shields, ‘Rolly’ Romero, and Chantelle Cameron take to the ring too in some big time fights throughout the rest of the month.

Below, we’ll take a look at the biggest boxing storylines for the month, some of the odds movement, and the best angles that bettors should be paying attention to heading into the end of August. For more boxing betting, check out our Boxing Betting Guide, which contains all the information needed for betting on the sport, as well as guides for the best boxing betting sites around.

The biggest betting storylines this month

• The month will kick-off with a banger of a fight in Las Vegas as Lamont Roach takes on William Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight championship. Roach has a 25-1-3 record but returns to the ring after back-to-back draws against Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz in 2025. Zepeda has a 33-1 record, with 27 knockouts, but fell to defeat against Shakur Stevenson in his last outing.
• The biggest fight of the month is without a doubt the WBA welterweight title fight between Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero and Teofimo Lopez. Romero comes into the bout for his first fight since defeating Ryan Garcia for the vacant title back in May 2025, while Lopez looks to bounce back from his defeat to Shakur Stevenson back in January 2026. The bout will take place on August 22nd, live from Las Vegas.
• There’s also plenty of eyeballs on the big heavyweight contender fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic. Itauma is an undefeated prospect who has won 12 of his 14 fights by knockout, including his last win over Jermaine Franklin in March. Hrgovic holds a 20-1 record with 15 knockout wins, including a third-round stoppage over David Allen most recently.
• Claressa Shields will take on Kaye Scott in a bout for the WBA and WBC middleweight titles, putting her undefeated record on the line in the process. The bout will take place on August 15th in Atlanta, Georgia.
• We will also see Chantelle Cameron take on Mikaela Mayer in a middleweight unification bout across ten rounds on August 29th. Cameron has a 22-1 record, and is on a four-fight win streak, while Mayer has won her last three fights and holds a 22-2 record.

Biggest futures, outright and win total moves this month

There has been some significant movement in the betting markets for boxing this month, and this is a closer look at some of the action worth tracking for bettors.

• Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury

After both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury picked up wins in their fights in July, the big fight between the two is now expected to go ahead before the end of the year.

Fury claimed a seventh-round stoppage win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand, while Joshua overcame being knocked down twice in the first-round to claim a second-round knockout win over Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the following day.

When the fight was announced a few months ago, Fury opened up as a -170 favorite. Since then, he had drifted out to -180, having defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov. But his performance in Thailand, despite the win, has seen his odds shorten to -163.

Joshua, meanwhile, opened at +130 but then drifted out to +150 last month. In preparation of the fight against Prenga he shortened to +130 once more, but after being dropped twice, he is now as wide as +170 with some bookmakers.

The bout is still without an official date, but if everything goes to plan, it’s expected to take place in November, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

• Lopez to claim the WBA welterweight belt?

‘Rolly’ Romero was largely expected to defeat Ryan Garcia in their welterweight title fight last year, and the American delivered with a top-class performance, extending his record to 17-2. Lopez was an underdog when he took on Stevenson, and he fell to a defeat after a disappointing performance in the ring.

Romero opened as a +175 underdog when the fight was announced, but has since drifted out to +200 with plenty believing he doesn’t have the right skillset to get the win. Lopez, on the other hand, opened as a -250 favorite, but has seen his odds shorten to -220, with many bettors seeing the value in both fighters.

Romero will have hometown advantage in this bout, having been born in Vegas, but it should be a close fight between two of the top fighters in the 147-pound weight class.

• Moses Itauma to make title claim?

With the heavyweight titles up for grabs following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate, and the both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury looking far from impressive ahead of their major showdown, there is an opportunity for Moses Itauma to stake a claim as the UK’s best heavyweight.

After knocking out Jermaine Franklin in his most recent fight in March, he extended his record to 14-0 with 12 knockouts, and the hype train has seen him open in the betting ahead of the fight as a huge -710 favorite. Since then, his odds have shortened slightly to -600, but he is still a very heavy favorite.

Hrgovic, on the other hand, dismantled Dave Allen in his last bout, and has got a very impressive professional record under his belt. That saw him open as a +400 underdog, but his odds have drifted massively, and he is now as big as a +700 underdog with some bookmakers.

Futures market check

Looking forward to future matchups in the world of boxing, there are some interesting lines beginning to appear on the market.

• Anthony Joshua (+170) vs Tyson Fury (-163)

This looks set to be the biggest fight of 2026, and as such there is plenty of attention being put on how it will play out.

Joshua opened as an underdog, but after struggling in the opening round against Prenga in what was supposed to be a warm-up fight, bettors have moved quickly to go against him. However, he still showed his incredible one-punch knockout power, and that makes the +170 line very attractive.

Fury, meanwhile, dominated his fight against a relatively novice opponent, but he looks much slower and more open than he has in the past. Despite Joshua’s line drifting, Fury’s line has shortened to -163, with many believing that whoever lands the first clean punch of the bout will be declared the winner.

Expect more movement once a date is announced.

• Canelo Alvarez (-300) vs Christian Mbilli (+230)

After suffering defeat to Terrence Crawford last year, Canelo will return to the ring on October 31st to take on Canadian knockout artist Mbilli for his WBC super middleweight title.

Alvarez has a stunning 63-3-2 record in his career and is widely considered to be the face of boxing, but finds himself in a must-win situation after his most recent performance. Mbilli has a near-perfect 29-0-1 record, including 24 knockouts, but fought to a draw against Lester Martinez in his most recent bout.

Canelo has opened in the betting as a -300 favorite for the fight, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but he has since shortened to -275, with some believing his best days may already be behind him. Mbilli, meanwhile, opened as a +230 underdog, and can now be found at around +260, with some still holding the original +230 line.

• Chantelle Cameron (+200) vs Mikaela Mayer (-250)

A huge women’s super middleweight fight will see the true queen of the division crowned, as both fighters put their belts on the line in this bout.

Cameron holds a 22-2 professional record, and opened as a +200 underog for the fight, as she looks to extend her winning run to five in a row. Mayer, meanwhile, has a 22-1 professional record, and opened as a -250 favorite, having won her last three fights.

Now, Cameron has seen her odds lengthen slightly to +250, while Mayer’s odds have shortened to around -230 ahead of their unification bout.

MSG NOW THE “PREFERRED CHOICE” OF TURKI & NETFLIX TO STAGE FURY VS JOSHUA 🇺🇸

Madison Square Garden in New York is now reportedly the “preferred choice” of Turki Alalshikh and Netflix to host Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua later this year.

However, due to Anthony Joshua’s… pic.twitter.com/UMcWpWmHrh

— IFL TV (@IFLTV) July 25, 2026

What could move odds before next month’s update

It’s possible that there could be some official fight announcements coming in the near future.

• Gervonta Davis has become a target for Zuffa Boxing, who want to give him the biggest fights. Should he sign, then fellow Zuffa-signee Shakur Stevenson could become his next opponent, and there should be movement in the futures market as a result.
• Ryan Garcia and Connor Benn are scheduled to fight on September 12th, but their press conferences have been very lively. Should anything controversial happen, that could lead towards movement in the betting odds.
• Agit Kabayel, who has been promoted to full world champion following Usyk’s decision to vacate, is likely to be in the frame to be Fury or Joshua’s next opponent after their fight, so it’s worth looking at potential markets opening up should there be movement in that direction.
• Should Moses Itauma defeat Filip Hrgovic, it’s expected that his next opponent will be Frank Sanchez for the currently vacant IBF heavyweight championship. The fight has already been ordered by the IBF, suggesting it may be agreed already.
• With Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s much-anticipated rematch being delayed, expect the odds to move as a result of the prolonged timeline. It may be an opportunity to get value too, before a new date is announced.

 

Previous betting news updates

• [July 2026]: Anthony Joshua claimed a second-round knockout win over Kristian Preng on July 25th, despite being knocked down twice in the first round.
• [July 2026]: Tyson Fury defeated Mariusz Wach in Thailand in a warm-up fight on July 24, winning via seventh-round stoppage.
• [July 2026]: Hamzah Sheeraz will be present when Canelo Alvarez fights Christian Mbili in October, as he looks to set up a bout between the pair.
• [July 2026]: Katie Taylor will fight in a retirement bout in September in her home country of Ireland.
• [July 2026]: Shakur Stevenson has signed with Zuffa Boxing.

Daniel Feliciano

Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.