WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford moved to 39-0 and solidified his place as the Pound for Pound number six on Saturday night.
Crawford scored a knockout victory over European champion David Avenesyan in a fight that wasn’t much to write home about.
“Bud” delivered a stoppage in the sixth round with a straight punch, rendering Avenesyan prone on the canvas. The shot didn’t seem like it could cause the damage it did, but it was enough to get the job done.
The bout was the first Pay Per View offering of the new boxing entity Black Prime.
Terence Crawford KO
Crawford entered the ring as the heavy favorite, and rightly so, as Avenesyan had been stopped in six by a man the Omaha native had beaten.
However, David put up a brave fight throughout the early rounds and made himself proud until the end.
Crawford unleashed a shot in the sixth round that sent Avenesyan crashing to the canvas. Black Prime said about the blow that “the force of the punch was so great that it punched a hole through Crawford’s gloves.”
After the fight, Crawford spoke to reporters about the his moment.
“My coach told me to keep picking my punches and keep being smart with my punch placement,” Crawford said.
“I broke him down and took him out with a punch I’ve been working on extensively in the gym.
“Once he landed on the canvas, I knew all my hard work and preparation paid off.”
Pound for Pound Top Ten
The victory solidifies Crawford’s status in the Pound for Pound top ten, but nowhere near Oleksandr Usyk due to his poor resume against any top names.
Crawford is at number six, behind Canelo Alvarez’s conqueror Dmitry Bivol.
In the co-main event, MMA superstar Cris Cyborg defeated Gabrielle Holloway unanimously in a four-round bout to go 2-0 in boxing.
The fight was a closely contested battle, with both fighters putting on an impressive showing of skill and determination.
A vicious left hook to the body sent Holloway to the deck in round three. In addition, Holloway recovered and made it to the final bell.
Cyborg triumphed and remains undefeated in the boxing ranks.
“I’m so happy to have come out on top,” Cyborg said after the fight. “Gabrielle is a formidable opponent.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I trained hard and gave it my all. I’m just grateful to have come away with the victory.”
