Jeff Fenech is basking in the scent of cold hard cash after cleaning up a $150,000 windfall from bookmakers on Garth Wood’s knockout of Anthony Mundine on Wednesday night.
In a carefully orchestrated sting, Fenech and a group of Marrickville mates loaded up on Wood using exotic bets designed to pick the round the fight would end in.
The price for Wood to lay Mundine out in round five was $40, with Fenech and his crew betting big on Wood to knock Mundine out between the first and fifth rounds.
“I was telling everybody last week as soon as I got a glimpse at Garth’s preparation that he was going to knock Anthony out,” Fenech said.
The Boxing Hall of Fame fighter also backed Wood to win in the head-to-head market at the price of $11.
Working Wood’s corner alongside his father, Barry Wood and fellow trainer Billy Hussein, Fenech used his inside knowledge of The Contender winner’s camp at John Singleton’s property as a starting point for the potential plunge.
Then when the Wood camp devised the clever ring tactic of cramping Mundine for room, Fenech anticipated the ex-NRL star would melt under consistent pressure.
“We knew Garth’s game plan was to get in Anthony’s face and trade punches and to be fair, Anthony hasn’t been faced with anything like that for quite a while,” Fenech said.
“As soon as I had a look at Garth’s preparation, I knew he was going to knock Anthony out.
“So I told all the boys in Marrickville, let’s get on.
“The really smart money was picking the round, which is never easy.
“But I thought if Garth was going to win it was going to be early on and as it unfolded, it worked out perfect for us.”
Leading bookmakers Centrebet and Sportingbet both confirmed fielding wagers of what industry experts term “educated money” on Wood to win by knockout.
