Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan: date, time, how to watch, background
Terence Crawford will face David Avanesyan in defense of his welterweight title on pay-per-view Saturday from Omaha, Nebraska.
TERENCE CRAWFORD (38-0, 29 KOs) vs. DAVID AVANESYAN (29-3-1, 17 KOs)
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 10
- Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
- TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
- Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
- At stake: Crawford’s WBO title
- Pound-for-pound ranking: Crawford No. 1
- Odds: Crawford 10-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Arnold Khegai vs. Eduardo Baez, featherweights; Cris Cyborg vs. Gabrielle Holloway, junior middleweights
- Prediction: Crawford KO 8
- Background: Everyone expected Crawford to fight Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed championship but, sadly, talks fell apart. Instead, Crawford, 35, will face the rugged, but limited Avanesyan in what amounts to a stay-busy fight. Crawford is coming off the most important victory of his career, a 10th-round knockout of former champion Shawn Porter in November of last year that proved he is still near the top of his game in his mid-30s. “Bud” has indicated that he still wants to fight Spence next year in what would be one of the best-possible matchups in the sport. Fans have their fingers crossed that the sides can come to terms. Of course, Avanesyan intends to spoil the plans. The U.K.-based Russian is a capable, gritty boxer-puncher who has been a contender for seven, eight years and has some notable victories. He retired Shane Mosley by a unanimous decision in 2016, which earned him an “interim” title. He then lost to Lamont Peterson (UD) and Egidijus Kavaliauskas (TKO 6) in a span of three fights but bounced back to score six consecutive knockouts against mixed opposition going into his biggest challenge on Saturday.