An anonymous bettor in Las Vegas has A LOT of confidence in Orlando Gonzalez-Ruiz.
That unnamed gambler has wagered $192,001.30 on Gonzalez-Ruiz to win back only $14,763.33 if Gonzalez-Ruiz beats Luis Porozo in their eight-round featherweight fight Thursday night in Las Vegas. The wager was initially placed at MGM Grand’s sports book as part of a two-fight parlay that included heavyweight prospect Sonny Conto, but according to a story posted on the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s website it was reduced to a one-bout bet when Philadelphia’s Conto was scratched last week from Top Rank’s card Thursday night at MGM Grand Conference Center.
If Gonzalez-Ruiz won and Conto (6-0, 5 KOs), who was a 20-1 favorite, defeated Waldo Cortes (5-2, 2 KOs), the bettor would’ve won $25,107.85 on that $192,001.30 wager. Puerto Rico’s Gonzalez-Ruiz (14-0, 10 KOs) is a 13-1 favorite to defeat Ecuador’s Porozo (15-2, 8 KOs).
Jeff Stoneback, director of The Mirage’s sports book, told the Review-Journal that the wacky wager on Gonzalez-Ruiz was made by the same bettor that risked $187,847.35 on Gabe Flores Jr. to beat Josec Ruiz in ESPN’s main event June 18 at MGM Grand Conference Center.
That wager won back just $4,173.85 when Flores (18-0, 6 KOs), of Stockton, California, defeated Miami’s Ruiz (21-3-3, 14 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 10-round lightweight bout. Flores was listed as a 45-1 favorite at MGM Grand.
ESPN will televise the Gonzalez-Ruiz-Porozo fight as part of a six-bout broadcast that’ll begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The 24-year-old Gonzalez-Ruiz, a southpaw, is mostly untested as a professional. Porozo has lost two of his past three fights, though, including a second-round knockout defeat to former WBA 130-pound champ Alberto Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) on December 13 in Indio, California.
The main event Thursday night will match Australia’s Jason Moloney (20-1, 17 KOs) against Mexico’s Leonardo Baez (18-2, 9 KOs, 1 NC) in a 10-round bantamweight bout. The telecast also will include a 10-round lightweight battle between Abraham Nova (18-0, 14 KOs) and Philadelphia’s Avery Sparrow (10-1, 3 KOs, 1 NC).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
