Terence Crawford will have his WBO welterweight strap on the line this Saturday night, December 10th, against David Avanesyan on BLK Prime PPV.
This could have been Errol Spence that Crawford is fighting, but Bud abandoned the negotiations, choosing instead to fight Avanesyan when offered an eight-figure payday for what many boxing fans figure to be an easy night’s work.
The money that Crawford is getting to fight Avanesyan is excellent, but it could come at a cost.
By taking the quick payday rather than sticking it out in the negotiations for a bigger money fight against Spence, Crawford likely has permanently wrecked his chances for that fight. When or if Crawford’s fight with Avanesyan bombs on pay-per-view, negotiating with Spence will be impossible.
How to watch Crawford vs. Avanesyan?
Fans can watch Crawford defend against Avanesyan on December 10th on BLKPrime.com. The price is $39.99, which is considered low by today’s standards for boxing pay-per-view.
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) needs a solid win and an impressive showing against #6 WBO contender Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) to keep alive his chances for an undisputed championship fight against IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Spence in 2023.
It would be a good idea for Crawford to stand his ground and resist the urge to get on his bike when he takes big shots from Avanesyan.
It’ll be a bad look on Crawford’s fight if he starts motoring away and sticking his tongue out at Avanesyan as he did in his fight with Viktor Postol. The fans ended up booing Crawford as the fight ended.
The 35-year-old Crawford hasn’t seen action in over a year since his victory over the washed gatekeeper Shawn Porter in 2021. That fight ended ugly, with Porter pulled out by his corner despite him appearing fit to continue.
Avanesyan, 34, defeated little-known Oskari Metz by a first round knockout last March in a successful defense of his EBU 147-lb belt. It’s fair to say that if Avanesyan fights like that against Crawford, he’s got a decent chance of winning.
Crawford vs. Avanesyan start time
The main portion of the Crawford-Avanesyan card will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET on December 10th.
There are not many recognizable names on the undercard, which could lead some fans to drift off or walk away. It would have been nice if BLK Prime stocked the undercard with quality fights, but given the huge purse being paid to Crawford, it’s not surprising they skimped on the support fights.
CRAWFORD AVANESYAN DATE, START TIME
- Date: Saturday, December 10
- Preliminary Card: 5.30 p.m. ET / 10.30 p.m. GMT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 9 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT
- The fight will be broadcast on BLKPrime.com and through cable and satellite providers which provide the PPV service, at a price of $39.99.
- The preliminary card is set to get underway at 5.30 p.m. ET / 10.30 p.m. GMT with the Crawford vs. Avanesyan ringwalks scheduled for 9 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. GMT.
- The fight will be staged at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
- Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan; For Crawford’s WBO welterweight title
- Cris Cyborg vs. Gabrielle Holloway; Welterweight
- Arnold Khegai vs. Eduardo Baez; Featherweight
- Jeremiah Milton vs. Dajuan Calloway; N/A
- Steven Nelson v. James Ballard; Light heavyweight
- Edel Gomez vs. Joseph Aguilar; Light heavyweight
- Boubacar Sylla vs. Javier Mayoral; Welterweight
- Robert Rodriguez vs. Jose Lopez; Junior featherweight