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Omaha, Neb., Dec. 11 (AP): Unbeaten world champion Terence Crawford knocked out David Avanesyan in the sixth round Saturday night to retain his WBO welterweight belt.
Crawford, fighting for the first time in more than a year, had the sixth-ranked challenger wobbling with a flurry of blows before landing a right cross to the chin that put Avanesyan to the canvas 2 minutes, 14 seconds into the round.
“I was touching him to the body, and I was seeing that had an effect,” Crawford said. “He had a high guard, and I picked up the pace. There were punches in bunches, I saw an opening and took it and the rest is history.”
Crawford was fighting in his hometown for the sixth time as a professional and first time since 2018, and cheers of “Craw-ford! Craw-ford!” started before introductions.
The pay-per-view bout was made after negotiations for an undisputed welterweight championship fight between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. broke down in October.
Crawford didn’t call out Spence directly, saying he would consider anyone who wants to fight, preferrably in the spring.
“We don’t know what is next,” Crawford said. “We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and be ready for whoever.”
Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer, said his fighter would be open to moving up from 147 pounds to 154.