Forget the polite build-up talk — this first mid-week card at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was about Bek Nurmaganbet reminding everyone that he hits like a truck. The Kazakh southpaw turned the fight into a slow surrender from Steven Sumpter. Three rounds of clean punishment and Sumpter’s corner finally waved it off before their man got folded. That’s 11 straight knockouts, 15-0 overall, and the kind of cold efficiency that makes people start whispering about title runs.
He’s 27, he’s been forged in Kazakhstan’s amateur scene, and now he’s sharpening steel with Canelo in camp. That’s no accident. They know what they’ve got on their hands: a nasty, disciplined puncher who looks like he’s out to hurt you.
Toirac’s Heavyweight Hype Takes a Beating
Yoandy Toirac came in with people calling him a wrecking ball. Instead, he looked like a man dragging weights on his ankles. Against Skylar Lacy — a lanky, awkward ex-footballer with more grit than polish — Toirac couldn’t cut the ring, couldn’t get his shots off, and lumbered to a draw.
Lacy was awkward, sure, but Toirac gave him nothing to fear. Three straight KOs had papered over cracks, and tonight those cracks split wide open. Thirty years old (probably older if we’re being real), slow feet, predictable punches — he looks like another “what if” heavyweight who’ll get ironed out the moment he steps into deeper waters.
Mikie Tallon Sharp
Liverpool’s Mikie Tallon, only 20, at least showed some teeth. He floored Christian Robles twice, boxed neat, and ran up a unanimous decision without looking troubled. He’s now 10-0, still feather-fisted with just one stoppage, but the skills are there. The problem? In pro boxing, skills without power can make you food once the wolves circle.
As for Abdullah Darkazanly, he’s got the trappings of a manufactured project. German kickboxing past, now fighting out of Riyadh in a Mike Tyson-branded gym, Abel Sanchez barking orders in the corner. He battered Kody Koboski until the ref jumped in during round three. Only 2-0, but you can already smell the marketing machine working overtime. When Saudi money’s involved, wins get polished into headlines whether the guy’s ready or not.
My Take: Nurmaganbet? That’s the name to underline
Bek’s got that dead-eyed look of someone who doesn’t care about rounds or scorecards — he just wants bodies on the record. If Canelo’s keeping him close in camp, it’s for a reason. Toirac? Done with him. Too slow, too clumsy. Heavyweights like that get chewed up quick. Tallon’s tidy, but unless he develops some pop, he’ll be another slick Brit who gets steamrolled once he moves up. Abdullah Darkazanly? Forget about him.