Only one man can make a championship bout at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska feel like a fight night at Madison Square Garden. His name is Terence Crawford. More than a year after becoming the first man to earn a stoppage victory against former world champion Shawn Porter, Crawford returned to his hometown and battled David Avanesyan.
Heading into the championship fight, Crawford emerged as a -1800 favorite. Despite these odds, the challenger felt as confident as he ever had heading into a major bout.
“I’ve knocked out my last six opponents,” Avanesyan told Boxing Scene.
“There is [a] one [hundred] percent chance Terence Crawford will be my seventh knockout in a row.”
Avanesyan may have been confident that he would score his seventh consecutive knockout. Instead, Crawford was the one who scored the highlight reel knockout. In the sixth round, Avanesyan found himself going toe-to-toe with the WBO Welterweight Champion. The challenger threw a left hand and the Omaha native responded with a counter left uppercut, followed by a right hook that ended the fight. As Avanesyan fell on his back, the WBO Welterweight Champion celebrated with the fans of his hometown.
Moving forward, many fans want to see Crawford challenge Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight title. When asked about a potential showdown with Spence Jr., Crawford didn’t back away from the potential bout, but rather left the door open for negotiations to restart in the new year.
“Listen, I’m a free agent, this was a one-fight deal. Hopefully, we can go [back] to the drawing board and these big fights come about in the near future,” he said.
BUD CRAWFORD JUST SLEPT HIM pic.twitter.com/KzwXFlEmSS
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) December 11, 2022
