Get your boxing tips for Sunday’s WBO welterweight title fight, with Terence Crawford putting his belt on the line against David Avanesyan.

Boxing Tips – Terence Crawford V David Avanesyan

14:00 (AEST), Sun 11th Dec @ CHI Heath Center, Omaha

Career records: 

  • Crawford – 38-0 (29 wins by KO/TKO)
  • Avanesyan – 29-3 (17 wins by KO/TKO)

Last bouts: 

  • Crawford def Shawn Porter – Rd 10 TKO – November 20, 2021
  • Avanesyan def Oskari Metz – Rd 1 TKO – March 19, 2022

Final thoughts: Terence Crawford’s place among the greatest boxers of the modern era is comfortably assured. After running rings around the field in the lightweight and light welterweight ranks, he has dominated the welterweight division since winning the WBO title from Jeff Horn with a ninth-round TKO in 2018.

Crawford has successfully defended the belt six times. He’s advanced his record to an eye-watering 38-0. He’s stopped his last seven opponents to take his record to 29 career KO’s. He’s the only boxer included in the top three pound-for-pound rankings in each of the BWAA, TBRB, ESPN, BoxRec and The Ring.

But the 35-year-old perhaps hasn’t quite received his dues because the calibre of his opponents haven’t been anywhere near his level. There’s simply been no rival for Crawford – a factor largely out of his control. He carved out a 10th-round TKO of Shawn Porter, one of his better-credentialled opponents but past his best, in his last fight a little of a year ago.

A mouth-watering unification bout with Errol Spence – among the top bracket of pound-for-pound big dogs – fell through. So Crawford’s next fight is against European welterweight champion David Avanesyan.

The Russian veteran has crafted a 29-3 record with 17 knockouts and has won his last six fights (all by TKO), starting by wrestling the European title from Kerman Lejarraga in 2019. He last got in the ring in March, stopping Oskari Metz in just two minutes.

Avanesyan is a power puncher who can rock anyone. Technically, though, he looks to be significantly outmatched up against Crawford…there’s a reason he’s a $9 longshot for the upset.

Crawford can’t afford to be complacent, especially after a lengthy gap between fights. But all indications are he’s laser-focused and is not taking Avanesyan lightly. The all-time great can absorb some punishment but it’s his vastly superior defence and all-round ring craft that are set to carry him to another dominant win.

No one has taken Crawford the distance since Viktor Postol in 2016. But six of his nine bouts in the interim have gone into the eighth round or beyond. Given none of his last five fights have lasted more than six rounds (including three first-round TKOs), Avanesyan will be doing well to go deep against Crawford. Lasting the full 12 rounds seems highly unlikely.

Fighting in Omaha for the first time in four years, Nebraska’s favourite son will be eager to put on a show for his adoring hometown fans.

Tip: Round Betting – Crawford to Win in Round 5-8 @ $2.45