David Avanesyan is prepared for a legal battle to remedy the controversy surrounding his latest in-ring fight.

An official complaint has been filed with the Nebraska Athletic Commission (NAC) on behalf of Avanesyan, addressing the manner in which Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford was permitted to continue with a pair of defective boxing gloves during their WBO welterweight title fight. Crawford scored a highlight reel, sixth-round knockout in their December 10 BLK Prime Pay-Per-View main event at CHI Health Center in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

The start of the sixth and deciding round was delayed, when referee Sparkle Lee called time upon observing that both of Crawford’s gloves—provided by Everlast—were coming apart at the seams. Avanesyan—a Russia-born Armenian who is based out of England—was ordered to stand in a neutral corner, while Lee escorted Crawford to the ropes where his gloves were examined by a member of the Nebraska commission as well as on-site WBO supervisor Russell Mora. The discussion ended with the agreement that they would allow the round to proceed before switching out the gloves to Crawford’s second approved set “before the next round.”

Of course, there would not be a next round. However, it hardly means the end of the fight.

“I have serious concerns over the issue that preceded the stoppage, specifically relating to a clear and obvious defect in Terence Crawford’s glove(s) and the origination of the same, which do not appear to be the exact gloves presented at the rules meeting,” Neil Marsh, Avanesyan’s manager, wrote to NAC deputy athletic commissioner Brian Dunn in an official letter, a copy of which was obtained by BoxingScene.com. “I am sure you are aware that prior to the knockout both the Referee and Commission raised concern that the stuffing was visibly coming out of a split glove(s) of Terence Crawford which was sufficient for a ‘Time-out’ to be called.

“The Referee correctly called the Time-Out and consulted the Commission, and I assume the WBO Supervisor who inspected the defective Glove/s before the Referee stating – “Let this round go then go and get another one.” Allowing the fight to continue was, in my view, both irresponsible and negligent and such action placed Avanesyan in additional danger.”

According to Chapter 4, Rules 006.01 and 006.02 (Gloves) of the NAC Rules and Regulations, all gloves must be furnished by the promoter and in “new or in good condition” and also “whole, clean and in a sanitary condition.

The third and final part of the rule states that “all gloves must be examined and approved by a Commission official. If any padding is found to be insufficient or the glove are otherwise imperfect or ill-fitting, the gloves must be replaced before the bout can begin.”

Rule 006.04 stipulates that "if a glove breaks or a string becomes untied during the bout, the referee will instruct the timekeeper to take a time-out while the glove issue is being corrected. All gloves must be checked by a Commission official prior to the start of the bouts. Any snagged, torn, or unfit gloves will not be approved for competition."

Prior to the start of round six, Antonio Tarver—a former light heavyweight champion who was part of the BLK Prime broadcast team as an expert analyst—noted the defect on each of Crawford’s gloves but was unsure if it was just the color scheme. An up-close live camera shot of the ringside inspection showed the padding emerging from the side of each glove.

Lee was heard on camera confirming that “we’re going to do this round and then go get the other one,” referring to the second set of commission-approved gloves.

The fact that the bout was permitted to continue under those circumstances came as a surprise to the ringside broadcast team.

“Both gloves are busted open,” Tarver observed.

“Look at this,” former two-division champ Paul Malignaggi stated on air as Crawford and Avanesyan were instructed to resume action.  

“That is strange,” noted lead commentator Todd Grisham. “You would think that the cut in the gloves, if [Crawford] were to hit Avanesyan the right way it could bust… slice his head open.”

Crawford proceeded to close the show, landing a left uppercut and right hook to put Avanesyan flat on his back. The fight was immediately waved off at 2:14 of round six.

“Rarely do new Gloves disintegrate in this manner and Everlast have vast experience in manufacturing,” the complaint pointed out. “However, used Gloves can split at the seams which raises suspicion as to whether these Gloves had been previously worn and dried, weakening the construction and stitching.

“However, whatever the cause, the fact remains that these Gloves were defective, and this became apparent during a contest and, even when highlighted by the Referee, no action was taken, and Avanesyan was knocked-out by a fighter wearing defective and potentially dangerous Gloves. I am sure I do not need to stress that the legitimacy of this fight and the result must be brought into question if these Gloves are found to be contrary to the regulations.”

The gloves controversy was addressed largely through social media in the days that followed. Among those to quickly voice their opinion was veteran cornerman and noted industry expert Russ Anber, who is also the president and CEO of Rival Boxing Gear, whose gloves were worn by Avanesyan.

“Can anyone confirm that this is a real, true and accurate picture of the Crawford gloves,” Anber openly questioned on December 12, quote tweeting a post containing a photo of the fight night gloves worn by Crawford. “Has this photo been tampered with? The gloves in this photo are used gloves. These are not a new pair of gloves! And thats [sic] not my opinion, thats [sic] a fact! I can prove it.”

Glove manufacturer Everlast released a statement, taking ownership of the visibly faulty gloves that made its way to Nebraska.

“During the development cycle of the custom fight gloves used in Crawford vs. Avanyesan a batch of defective leather was used in production resulting in a malfunction during the competition,” the company stated in an official response to the controversy. “In such cases, Everlast follows proper protocol by providing back up competition pairs to be replaced pending a decision by the sanctioning body overseeing the fight.

“A stoppage was called to review the equipment malfunction and the commission deemed the equipment was still suitable for competition. No foul play was at hand, nor was there any tampering of the product on behalf of Terence Crawford and his camp.”

The greater concern on the part of Avanesyan’s team is not so much with Crawford but with chain of custody and the commission’s overall handling of the matter.

“Whilst we reserve our rights in respect of Everlast’s quality control in this matter, from the outset we wish to state, at this stage, there is no inference or indeed evidence to suggest that Crawford’s team may have tampered with the Gloves in any way or at any stage,” noted Marsh. “[B]ut clearly questions must be asked and matters addressed as it is our view that the outcome of this contest was, or could have been, influenced by defective Gloves being permitted to be used, particularly in round six.

“We wish to investigate the timeline and process that was followed from the presentation of these Gloves at the WBO Rules Meeting to the moment during the fight, just before the knock-out, where the Referee and Commission both raised concern as to the apparent fault in Crawford’s Gloves.”

The answers demanded by Avanesyan and his legal team—including lead counsel Leon Margules—are as follows:

1.     When the Commission approved these Everlast Gloves for use were they thoroughly inspected and were they provided directly to the Commission in the original sealed packaging of Everlast?

2.     Were the Gloves put on Terence Crawford, the same Gloves, unworn and new that were presented in the Rules meeting?

3.     Were the Gloves sent directly to the Commission from Everlast and if they were not, were they provided in the sealed manufacturers packaging of Everlast. Avenaesyans [sic] Team confirmed that the printed Everlast logo was not on the transparent sealed packaging that we are used to seeing.

4.     Who added the ‘TC’ logo to the Gloves?

5.     Did the Gloves remain with the Supervisor/Referee following the Glove selection and until presented to the Locker Room.

6.     Was there a Commission Inspector in the Dressing room throughout?

7.     Did anyone from Team Crawford have access to the Gloves and break the original packaging, prior to the Rules meeting?

8.     Why did the Referee and Commission not insist on the Gloves being changed immediately, what was the reason for this?

9.     Why was it deemed appropriate to allow the round to continue with a fighter wearing visibly defective Gloves?

10.   At the conclusion of the bout did the Commission seize the Gloves and spares, with a view to investigating the defect, cause of the defect and as evidence. Where are the Gloves now? Are they available for inspection by an independent party?

“Based upon the above we wish to lodge a formal complaint and request that the questions be answered by return, so that we can pursue this matter, legally and through the Courts, if necessary, should the following questions not be satisfactorily answered,” stated Marsh.

As it presently stands, Crawford (39-0, 30KOs) is credited with the sixth successful defense of the WBO welterweight title he claimed in June 2018, while having recorded his tenth consecutive knockout. Avanesyan (29-4-1, 17KOs) saw a six-fight win streak—all inside the distance—come to a close in his first major title fight, having previously held a secondary version of the WBA welterweight title.

The best-case scenario as it would relate to having the loss removed from Avanesyan’s record would be for the Nebraska commission to change the verdict to a No-Contest. A greater legal battle is expected to come of the matter, given the faulty manner in which the situation was handled and the questions raised in the aftermath.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox