By ERIC OLSON
OMAHA, Neb. — Unbeaten world champion Terence Crawford knocked out David Avanesyan within the sixth spherical Saturday night time to retain his WBO welterweight belt.
Crawford, preventing for the primary time in additional than a 12 months, had the sixth-ranked challenger wobbling with a flurry of blows earlier than touchdown a proper cross to the chin that put Avanesyan to the canvas 2 minutes, 14 seconds into the spherical.
“I used to be touching him to the physique, and I used to be seeing that had an impact,” Crawford mentioned. “He had a excessive guard, and I picked up the tempo. There have been punches in bunches, I noticed a gap and took it and the remaining is historical past.”
Crawford was preventing in his hometown for the sixth time as knowledgeable and first time since 2018, and cheers of “Craw-ford! Craw-ford!” began earlier than introductions.
The pay-per-view bout was made after negotiations for an undisputed welterweight championship battle between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. broke down in October.
Crawford didn’t name out Spence instantly, saying he would think about anybody who needs to battle, preferrably within the spring.
“We don’t know what’s subsequent,” Crawford mentioned. “We’ve bought to return to the drafting board and be prepared for whoever.”
Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s coach, mentioned his fighter could be open to transferring up from 147 kilos to 154.
“I don’t assume anybody at 54 or 47 can beat him,” McIntyre mentioned. “The one query is, ‘Who’s keen to battle him?’”
The 35-year-old Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) confirmed no indicators of rust in his first battle since he stopped Shawn Porter within the tenth spherical on Nov. 20, 2021.
Avanesyan (29-4-1), who beforehand fought in March and gained by technical knocked over Oskari Metz, stood in there with Crawford for the primary 5 rounds.
Crawford got here out in an orthodox stance, however switched to southpaw halfway by the primary spherical and fought that manner for the period.
Crawford used an efficient jab to neutralize Avanesyan, however the Russian by no means backed off. Crawford shook him up with a mixture to the pinnacle and physique within the fourth, landed a pair stable physique pictures within the fifth after which took full management within the sixth.
Crawford landed three straight uppercuts to the chin, wobbled him with a pair pictures to the physique after which landed the decisive blow that put down Avanesyan.
Within the featured bout on the undercard, former MMA star Cris Cyborg gained by unanimous determination over Gabrielle Holloway (0-3) in 4 rounds in her skilled boxing debut.
Cyborg was the aggressor all through and within the third spherical had Holloway bent over alongside the ropes with a flurry of pictures to the pinnacle and physique. After the standing eight depend, Cyborg landed a pair extra pictures to complete the spherical and continued her onslaught by the fourth.
In different fights, gentle heavyweight Steve Nelson (18-0, 15 KOs) knocked out James Ballard (10-4) in 2:41 of the primary spherical; Jeremiah Milton (8-0) gained by unanimous determination over 388-pound heavyweight Dujuan Calloway (5-2) in six rounds; and tremendous bantamweight Arnold Khegai (19-1-1) gained by cut up determination over Eduardo Baez (21-4-2) in 10 rounds.
