Notebook: Underdog Avanesyan insists he'll pull upset vs. Crawford
Warrington motivated by hometown support for defense vs. Lopez; Charlo-Tszyu undisputed title fight official; Valdez-Navarrete date, site set; Show and tell
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Welterweight contender David Avanesyan outpointed Hall of Famer Shane Mosley in a 2016 upset and sent him into retirement. He also took the unbeaten records of contenders Kerman Lejarraga (2019) and Josh Kelly (2021) in upsets, so he knows a thing or two about winning as an underdog.
But now he is aiming for what would be a monumental upset when faces by far his most significant opponent, WBO welterweight titlist Terence Crawford, who many view as the reigning pound-for-pound king.
They will square off in the main event of a pay-per-view card on Saturday (BLK Prime and Integrated Sports PPV, 9 p.m. ET, $39.99) at the CHI Health Center in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs), 34, a Russia native based in England, has shown no fear of being on enemy turf and is at least talking a good game.
“I had a great camp, and I’m going to be giving everything to win this fight,” Avanesyan said at Thursday’s fight-week news conference. “Everyone is talking about Terence. I’m not only here to win this fight decisively but to shock the world.
“Come Sunday morning, the news will be spreading that I raised the belt, and shocked the world. I’ll be getting to go back and see my family who I haven’t seen for so long, and return home a champion.”
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs), 35, the former undisputed junior welterweight champion and a former lightweight titlist, will be making his sixth welterweight defense and was hoping to be in a mega fight with three-belt titleholder Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed crown. But when they couldn’t come to terms, he opted to face Avanesyan rather than not fight for all of 2022; he hasn’t boxed since a 10th-round knockout of former titlist Shawn Porter in a signature victory in November 2021.
Avanesyan seems to believe that Crawford is distracted by the constant questions about the aborted Spence deal.
“I’m going into this fight with a lot to prove as no one is giving me a chance to win, but he has a lot on his plate,” Avanesyan said. “He’s got a lot of distractions, and none of the interviewers ask him about me. It is always about the fight that didn't happen or other stuff.
“I am more focused than ever, and coming in as a massive underdog, is just the way I like it.”
But lest anyone believe Crawford is overlooking the upset-minded Avanesyan, he has a message for you.
“I’m very focused and have been since day one strictly on Avanesyan,” Crawford said. “We know what he brings to the table, but we’re going to elevate it to a higher level. This Saturday we’ll be victorious, and going to have fun doing it.
“I really can’t look at too much of who he’s fought and how they fought each other. When he and I match up we’ll be making our adjustments on the fly and we’re going to do what we do best, which is shine.”
Home, sweet home for Warrington
There are few boxers who seem to thrive more fighting in their hometown than Josh Warrington.
He receives enormous fan support, and the First Direct Arena in his hometown of Leeds, England is akin to a fortress.
Warrington loves the atmosphere generated by his adoring public and expects that they will be there to give him a lift again when he defends the IBF featherweight title against mandatory challenger Luis Alberto Lopez in the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday (DAZN, 4 p.m. ET).
“He’s coming into the lion’s den,” Warrington said at their fight-week news conference. “(The fans) can’t be in the ring with me, but it’s a fucking hell of an atmosphere! I feed off that energy. Once I walk out into that arena I’m a man possessed and do what I have to do to keep hold of that belt.
“My name doesn’t get the respect it deserves. I’m not asking for it but I’ve been in with challengers all throughout my career. I’ve just got to concentrate on what I do best and I believe it will be enough to get me a win on Saturday night.”
Warrington (31-1-1, 8 KOs), 32, previously vacated the belt, then suffered a shocking ninth-round knockout loss to Mexico’s then-unknown Mauricio Lara (in London, not Leeds) in 2021 followed by a second-round technical draw against Lara in an immediate rematch.
But in March, Warrington regained the belt by seventh-round knockout of Kiko Martinez in Leeds despite suffering a broken jaw. Now he must face Lopez, who is also from Mexico but with a bigger reputation than Lara had when they first met.
He may have slept on Lara, but Warrington said he is well-aware of the Top Rank-promoted Lopez (26-2, 15 KOs), 29, of Mexico, who earned the title shot by knocking out England’s Isaac Lowe in a final eliminator in December in London and has won two stay-busy fights since.
“It’s a very tough fight,” Warrington said. “He’s full on confidence isn’t he? He’s like a kid on whizz walking around like Ric Flair. He’s going to be full of confidence. He’s blasted out a few guys over in the States and in Mexico but I’m not them guys.
“I’ve been in this position all throughout my career. I wasn’t meant to get this position. I wasn’t meant to win a European title, I wasn’t meant to get a world title. I’ve always been an underdog. Any fight at this level is always going to be a hard fight because he’s got himself into mandatory position. He’s beaten some decent guys along the way but I just don’t think he’s mixed in the same level that I’ve been in with. He’s certainly not had a fight like me.”
Lopez has won nine in a row since a decision loss to then-unbeaten former world title challenger Ruben Villa in 2019 and is very confident.
“I always come here as a warrior for war and I won’t be going home without that world title,” Lopez said. “I come full of capabilities, full of confidence in my preparation. I come to do what I always do — turn fights on their head and beat opponents when I’m not expected to do so. I’ll be winning this title. I’m coming for the knockout, that’s what I’ve come for.”
Charlo-Tszyu is official
It has been on the books for months but Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions made the fight between undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo and WBO mandatory challenger Tim Tszyu official on Thursday.
As expected, it will take place Jan. 28 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), 32, of Houston, became the first four-belt undisputed 154-pound champion in May when he stopped Brian Castano in the 10th round of a fight of the year contender to unify all the belts in a rematch of their July 2021 draw.
“I’m excited to be back in the ring to defend my undisputed crown,” Charlo said. “I’m thankful for everything I’ve accomplished, but the battle isn’t over. Tim Tszyu is a young, hungry, aggressive fighter but I’m a pound-for-pound great. I reign as the undisputed champion and if anyone wants a shot at the crown, they gotta see me. I’m not going anywhere. I plan to light up Las Vegas and show the world that I’m the most dangerous fighter in the sport, regardless of division.”
Tszyu, who made his American debut in a decision win over Terrell Gausha on Showtime in March, is getting the shot now because Charlo and the team of IBF mandatory challenger Bakhram Murtazaliev, who was supposed to be next and had a signed agreement with Charlo stating so, once again stepped aside after having boxed on two Charlo undercards and Tszyu’s card in March.
Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs), 28, of Australia, who is the son of Hall of Fame former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, stepped aside to allow the Charlo-Castano rematch to happen. More than a week ago, Tszyu traveled from Australia to Los Angeles, where he will have his training camp until the end of December before shifting to Las Vegas to finish.
“Jermell is a great, smart fighter and has been for many years. Becoming undisputed is an incredible achievement, but his time is over now because I’m about to shock the world and take over,” Tszyu said. “It’s going to be a great fight as neither of us know how to take a backward step and are going to be swinging from the start with very bad intentions.
“I’m preparing for a bloody war as I know he is too. I’ve already been grinding for months and I’m in the best shape of my career. The groundwork was laid in Australia and Thailand but I’m here now in the U.S. to take it to the next level, which is exactly what’s needed when you’re fighting for the undisputed championship of the world.”
Valdez-Navarrete is on
When the WBO approved a fight between former featherweight and junior lightweight titlist Oscar Valdez and reigning WBO featherweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title at its recent convention there was little doubt it would happen.
They are both with Top Rank, Navarrete petitioned for a spot in the bout (which he is entitled to as a reigning WBO titleholder), Valdez wanted the fight and the promoter was eager to make it.
Now the fight has a date and location, although the paperwork is being tidied up and has not been officially announced yet. Regardless, the fight will be Feb. 3 — the date Fight Freaks Unite reported was being targeted more than a month ago — at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, and headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card, sources with direct knowledge of the event told Fight Freaks Unite.
The WBO and WBC 130-pound titles became vacant when Shakur Stevenson failed to make weight for a defense against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23. Stevenson won the fight and the titles remained vacant.
Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs), 31, of Mexico, lost a decision to Stevenson in a unification fight in April and will be coming off that defeat. Navarrete wanted to move up to 130 pounds because of his issues making the 126-pound featherweight limit. Win or lose, Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs), 27, of Mexico, will have 10 days after the fight to tell the WBO what his intentions are as it relates to his featherweight title.
There figures to be a lively crowd in Glendale, where there is a large Mexican community and because Valdez grew up in nearby Tucson.
Show and tell
For 45 years HBO was synonymous with big-time boxing. The premium cable powerhouse rightfully called itself “The Network of Champion” and televised countless mega fights, beginning with George Foreman’s destructive second-round knockout of Joe Frazier to win the heavyweight title in 1973. Every big star you could think of from then through the next four-plus decades appeared on HBO at one time or another. I have spent most of my life obsessing over HBO boxing and spent the first 18 years of my boxing writing career covering it extensively. During its run, HBO televised more than 1,100 bouts and I have in my vast video library VHS tapes and DVDs of probably about 80 percent of the telecasts. All due respect to the many outlets that have televised boxing over the years, but HBO put on the best boxing telecast of all time and it’s not really close in my opinion. It looked awesome with tremendous production values; it sounded great (the announcers and the iconic music); it told the stories of the fights and fighters better than anyone; and it generally had the biggest and best fights.
Late in its run, however, the quality of bouts and overall vision severely waned due to incompetent leadership. The last couple of years were generally terrible. My dear friend Larry Merchant, HBO’s longtime legendary Hall of Fame commentator, summed it perfectly for a piece I wrote as the final card approached: “Once upon a time we were a promising kid. Then a challenger. Then a champion. A great champion. A long-time champion. And then a has-been who finally retired. So long, champ.”
The end of HBO boxing was like a death in the family to me then and remains that way now. The incredible run concluded with an utterly forgettable and terrible card featuring three uninteresting mismatches: Cecilia Braekhus routed no-hoper Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes to retain the undisputed women’s welterweight title, Juan Francisco Estrada knocked out the unknown Victor Mendez in the seventh round of a meaningless nontitle junior featherweight bout and Claressa Shields shut out Femke Hermans to retain her unified women’s middleweight title. The only worthwhile parts of the broadcast came in the form of the highlight-filled open, blow-by-blow announcer Jim Lampley’s visit with special guest Merchant, who had retired a few years earlier, the emotional goodbyes from Lampley and broadcast partners Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. and the final superb highlight reel of the many glorious and infamous moments that unfolded on HBO. The card was on Dec. 8, 2018 — four years ago on Thursday. Here is an extremely scarce network poster in my collection.
Crawford-Avanesyan photo: Tom Hogan/BLK Prime; Warrington photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing; Navarrete photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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I remember HBO boxing I have a box of DVDs and also VHS tapes of those fights I beleived it would go on forever just as I beleived that Friday NIght Fights, Tuesday Night Fights and so forth would go on forever and the fights we used to get on terrestrail TV would go on forever. Nice memories hanging out with friends and enjoying the fights there was a certain energy in the room waiting for the main event to get there and usually worth the wait I might add.
Back then the way I see it with the PPV events the PPV Events were filling a void that was needed to allow us all to get together and pitch in and have a fight night. Now PPV is corrupted it leaves a fan feeling violated, sorta how you feel after you have been robbed on the street of your pocket money. You know that you will make more, you know you had to hand the money over and yet there is an underlying anger that stays with me after the person got into your pocket money. How many of the fights you mentioned will be PPV events and will go missed by fans of boxing, how many fans have left the sport of boxing due to the greed of it all ? How many potential fans will never become fans due to the greed of so few ? Boxing is a fan sport of the minority now, and then you add to that all the roadblocks that Boxing puts up with PPV and bad behaviour it is surprising that the fight game still exists. But there is something about two men in the ring center respecting one another and sometimes now but still displaying the art of boxing the spirit of a competiton that makes me take notice. Thanks for the reminder dude................