Terence Crawford retained his WBO welterweight title and kept his undefeated record, knocking out David Avanesyan in the final minute of the sixth round tonight in Omaha, Neb.
Crawford (39-0, 30 KO) got some good looks from the game Avanesyan here, but he never seemed to be losing control of the bout or anything. Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17 KO) came to fight, which even the bout’s detractors knew he would, but once Crawford really flipped the switch in round six and started sitting down on shots, he was out of his depth — which is also what the bout’s detractors expected.
Avanesyan did have some success, but in the moments starting in about round four when Crawford would turn up the heat even a bit, his forward pressure saw him stuck in the mud and at the mercy of Crawford’s superior speed and shot selection.
The knockout was a wicked shot, a right hook that came at the end of a combination and put Avanesyan flat out on the canvas. There was no getting up there. He did eventually come to and appeared to be OK.
Crawford, 35, has now stopped his last 10 opponents.
Mustapha Hadji – Ahotor Sports Desk
