Crawford fighting Avanesyan: “This is something he already had lined up” says Robert Garcia

By Boxing News - 10/22/2022 - Comments

By Brian Webber: Trainer Robert Garcia thinks that Terence Crawford had already plans in motion to fight David Avanesyan on December 10th months ago, rather than Errol Spence Jr.

Instead of telling Spence (28-0, 22 KOs), Crawford kept his fight with Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) quiet until it was made.

Although Robert is disappointed in the choice of Avanesyan, he doesn’t blame Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) for taking the fight, given the huge $10 million+ payday he’s getting for an easy night’s work.

Robert says he would have preferred to see Crawford choose another welterweight like Vergil Ortiz Jr for his December 10th fight because then, at least, he’d be giving the boxing fans a fight that is more interesting on paper.

“He already knew something could happen, so he was preparing himself for another day against another fighter on December 10th. That means he already had plans as a backup,” said Robert Garcia to ESNEWS about Terence Crawford bailing out on the Errol Spence Jr fight.

“To get the opponent and the place agreed upon, that took a couple of months of preparation just to know the building is available, just to know your opponent is available. So he had already been working on it, just in case. He had to be ready for December 10th. He could just decide that he was fighting on December 10th in Omaha, Nebraska. So this is something he already had lined up.

“Yeah, it’s possible,” said Robert about Spence vs. Crawford likely never happening now. “Ten million dollars, there are very few fighters that wouldn’t take that kind of money. He hasn’t fought in a year. Whoever is putting up the money, it might break even or lose a little money, but it won’t be a lot.

“Crawford, without a promoter, he could have easily made an offer to Golden Boy for Vergil Ortiz. Vergil would have been perfect. I don’t know why he made that decision [to fight Avanesyan].

“In boxing, what we were expecting Spence, and if that wasn’t finalized, at least give them something in that direction, where people are going to be excited and happy to see.

“Business-wise, if he’s going to make ten million dollars, why not make the easiest fight possible and make ten million dollars? I don’t blame him. There’s much better names out there that would have made more sense.

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