Terence Crawford isn’t just a two-weight undisputed champion—he’s a walking, talking, punching masterclass. His skills? Razor-sharp. His ring IQ? Off the charts. His legacy? Already legendary. But even the best can’t dodge controversy forever. And while this particular drama is from a few years back, it’s making a comeback—just in time for Crawford’s showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
You see, the Omaha, Nebraska native is scheduled to square off against the unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in September later this year—thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s efforts. While excitement builds for this blockbuster bout, one fighter from Crawford’s past still harbors resentment over how his fight against ‘Bud’ played out.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is about Crawford’s December 2022 fight against David Avanesyan at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. On that fateful night, as the fight headed towards the sixth round, Crawford’s gloves busted open to reveal the padding inside. Referee Sparkle Lee paused the action to let the commission officials inspect the gloves. Crawford’s right thumb was exposed at the seam, but after some time, Crawford was allowed to continue the fight. This was followed by Crawford scoring a picture-perfect knockout with a left uppercut and right hook combination in the sixth round. While the incident is over two years old, there is still some lingering resentment for the 36-year-old. “I don’t know, he take good money. I think this is good decision about good money,” he told YSM Sports Media when asked about the Canelo fight.
December 10 2022 Omaha Nebraska CHI Health Center Fight Night Action Terence Crawford Bud David Avanesyan Omaha Nebraska USA Copyright: xTomxHoganx CrawfordAvanesyanFightNight_Hoganphotos7600
“Listen, when people ask me about Crawford, [it] remind bad [memories] for gloves,” he added, unable to remain silent about what had happened. “He give me bad memories about boxing. You see this fight, his gloves he go and fight with his gloves open before fight.” Avanesyan questioned what kind of boxer comes out for a title fight with their gloves open.
“Listen, I think boxing is clean sport, you know. I know like this is no good,” he added. When asked whether corruption in boxing played a role in Crawford’s glove incident being overlooked, David Avanesyan responded, “I think he’s his big name for his home, Nebraska. And he fight in Nebraska, he no problem. He King for Nebraska nobody tell him.”
Despite Avanesyan’s allegations against Bud Crawford, Everlast, the manufacturer of the gloves, took responsibility for the incident.
Everlast takes the blame for what happened during Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan
The leading manufacturer of boxing equipment had admitted fault for the glove malfunction that occurred during Terence Crawford’s fight against David Avanesyan in Omaha, Nebraska. Following speculation on social media, Everlast issued a statement taking responsibility, explaining that “a batch of defective leather was used in production, resulting in a malfunction during the competition.”
December 10 2022 Omaha Nebraska CHI Health Center Fight Night Action Terence Crawford Bud David Avanesyan Omaha Nebraska USA Copyright: xTomxHoganx CrawfordAvanesyanFightNight_Hoganphotos7379
The company emphasized that it follows proper protocol by providing backup gloves but stated that the commission “deemed the equipment was still suitable for competition.” Everlast insisted that there was “no foul play” or “tampering” on the part of Terence Crawford’s team and reaffirmed its commitment to fighter safety. “We take safety and performance seriously,” the company stated. “As the leader in professional boxing equipment, it is ever more important that we ensure the necessary steps are in place to review our product development process and the integrity of our gloves.”
Having said that, it appears David Avanesyan continues to harbor resentment toward Terence Crawford following their gloves controversy in 2022. And, understandably so! But the question is, had the gloves been changed, could the outcome of the fight have changed?
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