Who is Terence Crawford fighting next?
Terence Crawford is set to face David Avanesyan on December 10 in Omaha.
'Bud' has been out of action since his knockout victory over Shawn Porter. Most of his time away from the boxing ring has been spent negotiating a unification bout with fellow welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
The fight between the two champions has been years in the making, and it seemed that now was the time to make the matchup happen. Following Crawford's win over Porter, he became a free agent as his promotional deal with Top Rank expired.
Despite being in talks for months, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. will not happen next. ESPN's Mike Coppinger first reported that the WBO Welterweight Champion will instead fight David Avanesyan in December instead of his fellow titleholder.
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. https://t.co/IGEX9w72t2
For his part, 'Ava' is riding a six-fight winning streak, with all of the wins coming by way of knockouts. While the matchup might be disappointing to fans, Avanesyan is still a top contender with wins over names such as Shane Mosley, Kaizer Mabuza, and Josh Kelly.
The fight between the two is set to be broadcast on BLK Prime pay-per-view for $39.99. As of now, the matchup is the only one confirmed for the card, but others will likely be added shortly.
Could Terence Crawford still fight Errol Spence Jr.?
Although the announcement of Terence Crawford's next fight might disappoint some, he still has his eyes on Errol Spence Jr.
The two have had a long war of words, and this fight announcement will likely only make the rivalry hotter. Over the last few months on social media, both Crawford and Spence Jr. have blamed each other for their matchup not happening.
Nigga been stalling for months I could’ve fought in November …
While we don't know how their talks went, 'Bud' has stated for months that he's fighting in December no matter what. While many fans, and likely Spence Jr., took that as a bluff, it appears that he was telling the truth, given his fight announcement.
Despite the booking, Terence Crawford is still interested in a fight with Errol Spence Jr. In an interview with ESPN to discuss his matchup with David Avanesyan, 'Bud' stated that his goal is still to fight 'The Truth':
"I explained to Al Haymon and Errol that I was going to fight before the end of the year. ... David Avanesyan is a very tough task. He's knocked out his last six opponents and this guy is dangerous. Once I'm successful against Avanesyan, my plan is still the same: Whoop Errol Spence's a**."