Terence Crawford has confirmed when he will return to the boxing ring and who his next opponent will be.

But sadly it won’t be against Errol Spence Jr as David Avanesyan has been given the opportunity to fight for the world title instead.

It will be Crawford’s first fight since stopping Shawn Porter at Michelob Ultra Arena last November but not the one many had wanted with the prospect of a clash with Spence Jr diminishing.

Crawford’s contest comes after talks to make an undisputed super-fight with his fellow American this year broke down, but both sides have insisted that they still want to make it happen in early 2023.


The WBO welterweight champion will face Russian veteran Avanesyan on December 10 at CHI Health Center in Omaha.

And those unable to bag a ticket for the event will have to stump up a staggering £35.91 ($39.95) to watch the contest.

BLK Prime will broadcast the PPV across the globe.

Crawford, 35, has accused Spence, 32, of running scared after their contract talks reportedly stalled.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” he told ESPN. “I was really looking forward to the Errol Spence fight.

“I started communicating with [boxing manager] Al Haymon and PBC back in June and unfortunately, they represent a fighter in Errol Spence who didn’t want the fight as bad as I did.

“I agreed to all of their [B.S.] and they’ve been dragging their a** for months. Spence was nowhere to be found while I was trying to make the deal. 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**.”

However, Spence claimed that the announcement has taken him completely by surprise.

“I don’t know who [Avanesyan] is,” he told The Dallas Morning News per BoxingScene.com.

“I’ve done everything that I said I was going to do and I’ll fight him next and we’ll see who is holding the fight up.

“Everybody sees now who is holding the fight up.

“He had this [fight against Avanesyan] I guess in his back pocket.”

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