Fast-moving teenager Curmel Moton steps on another big stage Saturday

Curmel Moton may be a teenager with a beaming smile still bracketed by braces, but he is also one of boxing’s hottest prospects and is fast becoming an in-demand attraction on top fight cards in the biggest venues.

On Wednesday, Moton was a late addition to Saturday’s card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, headlined by erstwhile MMA fighters Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. Moton will take on Nikolai Buzolin in a six-round lightweight bout.

The 18-year-old Moton (3-0, 2 KOs), from Salt Lake City but who now fights out of Floyd Mayweather’s gym (and under his promotion banner) in Las Vegas, has already begun to show the layers of his ability and a maturity of purpose that could land him in the biggest fighters sooner rather than later.

After scoring first-round knockouts against his first two professional opponents in quick succession last September and November, he stepped up to an eight-round test – and summarily dismantled Anthony Cuba, blanking him on all three scorecards on the Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora undercard in March.

Buzolin marks the oldest and most experienced Moton will have faced as a pro, but he considers Saturday’s matchup to be just the latest footfall in his rapid journey through the ranks.

“This is another step for me and another chance for me to show my skill set and keep getting my name out there,” Moton said at Wednesday’s press conference, his presence there speaking volumes about what fight organizers think of his future. “I’m going to show out and take everything I worked on in the gym into the ring.”

The 36-year-old Buzolin (9-8-1, 5 KOs) hails from Tyumen, Russia, but now fights out of Brooklyn, New York. Although he has lost four in a row, he turned in a competitive showing against recent world title challenger Feargal McCrory last November.

Moton is the favorite, of course, but the hope is that Buzolin can give the prospect rounds and provide the sort of early-stage challenge that helps maintain the current momentum behind his development. Moton, for his part, wants a revival of his spectacular, quick-exit performances.

“Me going eight rounds in my last fight let me show the fans my skill set,” Moton said. “But we don’t get paid for overtime. Everyone should expect me to end this one early.”