Photo: Vincent Ethier – Before his first pro fight in front of his own, in Quebec City on January 13th, Wilkens Mathieu takes stokes of his rookie year.
It’s undeniably one of the oldest clichés in sports, but success doesn’t come without sacrifice. At just 16 years old, Wilkens Mathieu decided to leave his hometown to hone his boxing skills and eventually turn professional in Montreal. Three years later, on January 13th, the pride of Quebec will return to the capital city, performing on his biggest stage at the Centre Vidéotron.
“Since I started my pro career, I’ve been looking forward to boxing in Quebec City, and now it’s happening on a wonderful night, yes, in Quebec City, but internationally. There will be big fights, titles at stake, and a lot of visibility, so I couldn’t ask for anything better,” shares the fighter, who will celebrate his 19th birthday just days before his fight.
Headlining this event, Artur Beterbiev will defend his triple light heavyweight crown against mandatory challenger Callum Smith. Many believe this will be the most significant boxing card presented in Quebec in the last decade, going back to the Pascal-Bute duel in January 2014. Wilkens Mathieu was just nine years old at the time, but as fate would have it, he’ll be part of this renaissance, ten years later, armed with just over ten months of experience in the professional ranks.
The lucky hand
In February, the adventure began for EOTTM’s youngest protege. A few weeks after turning 18, he capitalized on his adult status to go to the Casino de Montréal, not for the slot machines, but to bet on himself by making his professional debut. He won his first hand convincingly, emerging victorious against Zsolt Birkas, and that too in the first round.
Geographically, it was somewhat the story of his rookie year. In the ensuing months, Wilkens Mathieu became the main attraction at Parc Jean Drapeau, boxing four more times, rounding off his 2022 calendar with a perfect record of 5-0, including 3 KOs. However, the experience and visibility gained there transcended the boundaries of Île Sainte-Hélène.
“EOTTM did exactly what they promised. They kept me active, and I had good visibility by fighting on ESPN+ and TVA Sports, so it all went exactly as planned, and I’m very happy,” comments the athlete, expressing his desire to maintain the same level of activity in 2024, even if his fights won’t be scheduled for four rounds anymore.
Light and pressure
Certainly, nobody was surprised to see Wilkens Mathieu succeed. For some years now, rumors have circulated that he possesses all the talent in the world, with some even saying he’s the best native prospect from Quebec since a certain Jean Pascal. The pressure that comes with becoming a champion, let alone a great champion, isn’t meant for everyone. Yet, Wilkens Mathieu isn’t like everyone else.
“The pressure is there, and it’s normal when you’re under the spotlight and want to achieve great things. You can’t avoid it, so you can only accept it to move forward,” describes the youngest of the Mathieu brothers, whose elder brother, Lexson, had a similar treatment a few years back before leaving the boxing world for finance.
The Montreal’s evolution
Nevertheless, Wilkens Mathieu often remains his harshest critic. In post-fight interviews, if he’s not satisfied with his performances, he’ll be the first to admit it. It’s somewhat like his move from Quebec City to Montreal, a decision solely imposed on himself to continue “evolving” as a boxer. This evolution was palpable this year, from one fight to another, offering spectators a Wilkens 2.0 in each outing.
“I’ve become much more mature in my boxing style. Transitioning from amateurs to pros is truly different because the gloves are smaller, making the punches more significant. What we’ve worked on is being more patient in the ring, picking my shots, and truly dictating my pace,” explains the boxer, who trains at the Gym Underdog Annex under the supervision of Mike Moffa.
The Mexican school
The next step in this evolution will occur on January 13th when he faces Jose Arias Alvarez (3-1, 1 KO). “La Fiera” may only have four fights, but he presents an interesting profile. Notably, he boasts two victories against undefeated boxers, and his only loss was a four-round decision to Montrealer Alexandre Leng (4-0, 1 KO) last October at the MTelus. Another interesting fact: at 39, Alvarez will be 20 years older than Mathieu in their showdown.
To this day, there still seems to be a certain bias against Mexican boxers who often come to Quebec to face local prospects. The reason is quite simple; there’s no better place than the Mexican school to taste all styles… and thus progress.
“Personally, I find it easier to face a boxer from Europe because even if they’re better, they have a more classical style that’s easier to solve. Mexicans have a less orthodox style, and sometimes, they do anything to fight, so you never know what to expect,” he explains.
Moreover, this principle hasn’t just been established in Quebec. One of the current top boxers, American Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs), is a good example, having faced 13 Mexicans in his first 17 fights. The rest of the story narrates that “The Dream” handled it rather well afterward…
A unique celebration
So, exactly 11 months and 11 days after stepping into a professional boxing ring for the first time, the right-handed boxer will try to put an exclamation mark on his rookie year by defeating Alvarez, maybe even becoming the first one to stop him. It will be an occasion to celebrate the return of Quebec boxing to the grand stage, and also to celebrate the return of the son of Quebec, whose birthday falls a few days earlier, on January 4th.
“It’s not necessarily about me, but I think it’s a good time to celebrate everyone who has helped me from the start and who can’t always make it to Montreal to watch me box,” he notes humbly.
Celebrating his 19th birthday in the heart of the Centre Vidéotron is no small thing. It’s a change from bars, more traditional venues in such circumstances. Don’t expect to run into him at Dagobert late in the evening, he likes to ‘have fun’, but he’s not a ‘party guy’. After a good restaurant – his second passion after boxing – the young tiger will get back to work. Anyway, there’s not too much time for celebrations because Wilkens Mathieu’s story is just beginning, and with his introduction written in the ring, the next chapter is always the most important.
