- Terence Crawford has opened as the -800 favorite versus David Avanesyan (+500).
- Crawford and Avanesyan have struck a deal to fight on December 10th in Omaha.
- Crawford was in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. last November 19th but the parties could not finalize a deal after agreeing to the major terms of an undisputed welterweight title fight.
Terence Crawford has opened as a massive betting favorite in a stay-busy fight against David Avanesyan.
According to the best boxing betting sites, the reigning welterweight title holder is a -800 against Avanesyan, who hit the betting boards at +500 odds:
David Avanesyan (+500)
Terence Crawford (-800)https://t.co/I4Rbf3zqiT— ProBoxingOdds (@ProBoxingOdds) October 21, 2022
Crawford told ESPN last Thursday that he and Avanesyan have signed contracts for a December 10 fight in Omaha, Crawford’s hometown. The bout will be streamed live via BLK Prime for $39.95. Meanwhile, Crawford is expected to earn an 8-figure payday.
Crawford vs Spence Talks Falls Apart
Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford fight falls apart: The long-awaited four belt welterweight unification bout between WBC, WBA and IBF champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-0 (22) and WBO counterpart Terence ‘Bud’… https://t.co/KccKNibYz4 #boxing #boxingnews #boxingheads pic.twitter.com/6V4d044IMJ
— Ringnews24 🥊 (@ringnews24) October 22, 2022
Crawford was in talks to face Errol Spence for the undisputed 147-pound title. Both sides had already agreed to the major terms of the bout but were not able to finalize a deal.
Bud had reportedly agreed to having the short end of the financial deal for the fight. However, the Omaha native wanted transparency related to the event expenses since the contract they agreed on had no guaranteed purse, only a percentage of the net revenue. So Bud asked for the ability to approve expenses as a partner in the event.
The original plan was to fight last November 19th but the negotiations dragged on for months. When it became clear that the PBC – Spence’s promoter, wanted the fight to happen in early 2023, Crawford decided to seek a different opponent rather than wait for a Spence fight in February or March.
Per Crawford:
There is still optimism that a Crawford vs Spence bout can be booked for next year. Both camps are still in talks and both fighters say that they want the fight to happen. But for now, that’s not the case. Enter David Avanesyan.
Crawford vs Avanesyan on December 10th
Breaking: Welterweight champion Terence Crawford and David Avanesyan have signed contracts for a pay-per-view fight on Dec. 10 in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford told @MikeCoppinger.
Crawford will earn a career-high eight-figure payday, sources said. pic.twitter.com/IGEX9w72t2
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 21, 2022
While David Avanesyan is no Errol Spence, he is no joke either. The 34-year-old Armenian-Russian boxer is a former WBA (regular) welterweight champion and the European welterweight title holder since 2019. Avanesyan has won six consecutive bouts via stoppage, including three upset victories.
Avanesyan won the European 147-pound title by dethroning Kerman Lejarraga via 9th-round TKO as the +400 underdog in March 2019. He beat Lejarraga in a rematch six months later in a rematch where he closed at +125 odds. Two fights later, Avanesyan stopped former secondary title holder Josh Kelly after closing with odds ranging from +1100 to +600.
Overall, Avanesyan has a record of 29-3 with 17 knockouts. That record is very good and he is on a nice winning streak. But Bud Crawford is the real deal and is the third-ranked Pound for Pound boxer in the latest Ring rankings, behind only Oleksandr Usyk and Canelo Alvarez.
Undefeated in 38 bouts with 28 knockouts, Crawford is one of the best boxers on the planet. Since defeating Jeff Horn in 2018 to win the WBO welterweight title, Bud has made successful title defenses against Jose Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan, Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Kell Brook, and Shawn Porter, winning all bouts via knockout. His opening odds of -800 for this bout is his shortest since hitting the betting boards at -1500 versus Benavidez.
