Boxing doesn’t have nearly the same influence it did even 30 years ago as America’s preferred gambling sport. As they say, power corrupts. But boxing remains a simple sport to bet, and its tenuous hold on the fringes of mainstream sports encourages the same level of ‘fair play’ that has led MMA out of the wilderness.

This is human combat boiled down to a very simple form: punching the other guy, in the front of the torso and head only. Differences in technology and equipment play a very small role in the ring (but a much larger one during training). As a handicapper, you’re looking for easy-to-spot indicators of the ability to throw and take punches: size, strength, even age.

Attitude doesn’t come up on the tale of the tape, but if you’re not already a student of human behavior, don’t sweat it. Win-loss records reveal a lot about a fighter’s attitude.