Arum: We're Selling Entertainment; Kavaliauskas 'Whole Package'

By Keith Idec

Pretty much everything Egidijus Kavaliauskas has shown Bob Arum and his matchmakers at Top Rank Inc. has impressed them.

They’ll know more after Friday night, though, just how ready the hard-hitting welterweight is for top opponents in his division. Lithuania’s Kavaliauskas (18-0, 15 KOs) is set to take on Russia’s David Avanesyan (23-2-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round fight ESPN will broadcast from Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.

Avanesyan, 29, represents a step up in competition for Kavaliauskas, who’s also 29.

Though not a big puncher, Avanesyan beat Shane Mosley to win the WBA’s interim welterweight title three fights ago. Mosley clearly was past his prime, but Avanesyan also was competitive in his following fight, a unanimous-decision defeat to Lamont Peterson last February 18.

“This is his toughest test yet,” Arum told BoxingScene.com, referring to Kavaliauskas. “If he wins, it puts him up in the top echelon [of welterweights] and maybe one fight or so away from fighting the Crawford-Horn winner. It puts him right up there.”

Australia’s Horn (18-0-1, 11 KOs) will defend his WBO welterweight title against Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, on April 14 at an undetermined Las Vegas venue. Kavaliauskas is ranked No. 4 among the WBO’s welterweight contenders.

Arum expects Kavaliauskas, nicknamed “Mean Machine,” to resonate with viewers because the two-time Olympian has a fan-friendly style and knocks people out. Avanesyan hasn’t been knocked out during his nine-year pro career.

“He gives a good performance,” Arum said. “He’s a fun fighter. He fights the whole time and he has good knockout power. He’s the whole package. He’s a very pleasing fighter. We’re selling entertainment and he brings entertainment. And also, because he’s with [manager] Egis [Klimas], they’ll fight anybody. I’ve never seen guys like this. They don’t give a sh*t who we put them in with. They’ll fight anybody, which is great.”

Kavaliauskas-Avanesyan will be part of a broadcast Friday night that’ll feature lightweights Ray Beltran and Paulus Moses in the main event (9 p.m. ET). Phoenix’s Beltran (34-7-1, 21 KOs) and Namibia’s Moses (40-3-1, 25 KOs) will meet in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBO 135-pound championship.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.