Canadian rapper Drake faced a significant setback, losing a whopping $615,000 bet on the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou heavyweight showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The highly anticipated ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash took an unexpected turn when Anthony Joshua delivered a brutal knockout against Ngannou in the second round on Friday. Drake, known for his daring bets on sporting events, had publicly announced his $615,000 wager on Instagram, expressing confidence in Ngannou’s ability to defeat Joshua outright.
“Betting on a scary man,” Drake declared, joining the ranks of many combat sports enthusiasts who believed Ngannou could emerge victorious. Had the bet been successful, Drake would have pocketed a substantial $1.9 million.
Drake’s history of betting has been marked by both significant wins and losses, but he has become infamous for the “Drake Curse.” Fans often attribute misfortunes of athletes and teams to Drake’s association with them. Notable victims of the curse include quarterback Johnny Manziel, UFC fighter Kamaru Usman, tennis star Serena Williams, and the entire Kentucky Wildcats Basketball team in the United States.
This recent loss follows Drake’s January setback when he lost over half a million pounds betting on Sean Strickland to defend his UFC middleweight championship against Dricus Du Plessis. However, the rapper redeemed himself with a $1.3 million win in 2023 when he bet on YouTube boxer Logan Paul to knock out Conor McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis in their ‘misfits’ boxing fight.
Notably, Drake’s betting journey includes a near-miss in 2023, where he missed out on a $920,000 payout after Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya lost his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland. Drake had fervently supported Adesanya’s bid for victory, only to witness Strickland secure a surprising win on points.
As Drake navigates the unpredictable world of sports betting, fans eagerly await whether the notorious “Drake Curse” will continue to cast its shadow on future endeavours.
