Terence Crawford knocks out David Avanesyan in sixth round

Terence Crawford had to work hard … for a while.

The pound-for-pound king had his hands full with a relentless David Avanesyan until a brutal left-right combination ended the fight in the sixth round Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford’s hometown.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:14.

“My coach told me to keep picking my punches and keep being smart with my punch placement,” Crawford said afterward. “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.”

Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) was expected to fight Errol Spence Jr. but turned to Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17 KOs) after negotiations broke down.

That doesn’t mean that the U.K.-based Russian was a pushover. He wasn’t, as he demonstrated for five-plus arounds against a future Hall of Famer.

Crawford controlled the distance with an incessant jab, which set up power shots and made it difficult for Avanesyan to get close enough to land punches.

However, the challenger isn’t easily dissuaded. The brawler pressured Crawford any way he could and had some success, connecting on eye-catching shots here and there.

Crawford picked up his pace and intensity round after round, though. That made things more and more challenging for Avanesyan.

The end came suddenly. Crawford landed a counter left and followed with a perfect right hook that put Avanesyan onto his back and ended the fight instantaneously. The loser was still sitting on the canvas several minutes after the fight ended.

Crawford, 35, has now stopped his last 10 opponents.

Of course, fans wish that this opponent had been Spence, a fellow titleholder who also is high on pound-for-pound lists. It’s one of the biggest possible matchups in the sport.

Crawford was asked whether that’s a possibility for next year. He said he’s willing to resume talks. So there’s hope.

Story originally appeared on Boxing Junkie