With his convincing victory over Esquiva Falcao, Wilkens Mathieu showed the boxing world that he is ready to compete with anyone, despite being only 21 years old.
The Brazilian veteran is a former Olympic silver medalist and had never been stopped before.
Yet Wilkens never appeared to be in trouble when facing him.
And in my opinion, he learned a tremendous amount from that performance. He was in control against an opponent with far more experience, but he also faced danger in the seventh round.
Still, it didn’t affect him. He quickly regained his composure and finished the fight in the following round.
Facing adversity is crucial in the career of a young boxer. If all of his fights are easy and only last a few rounds, when he eventually reaches a major fight, he won’t know how to react when things get difficult.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Esquiva Falcao vs Wilkens Mathieu
So, it was an ideal scenario for the young Quebecer.
He was able to box eight rounds against a high-level opponent, some rounds more challenging than others, and managed to finish the fight in the later stages.
At just 21 years old, Mathieu still has plenty of time ahead of him, and there is no need to rush things with such a promising athlete. However, he has made his intentions clear: he does not want to spend too long in such a dangerous sport.
And things are getting serious. As of May 2026, Wilkens was ranked #10 by the WBC, #15 by the WBO, and #14 by the WBA.
Here are five opponents who could help Wilkens Mathieu move closer to a future world title fight.
Photo: Ring Magazine – Raiko Santana vs Steven Nelson
Raiko Santana (13-4, 7 KOs) #24 WBC
First of all, a fight against Raiko Santana would promise fireworks.
He may not have the name recognition or record of some other potential opponents, but he remains extremely dangerous.
While it’s true that he lost two fights in Russia early in his career, he has impressed since 2019.
He has only lost twice since then: against Lester Martinez and Daniel Blancas, both undefeated fighters.
To show just how dangerous the Cuban can be, he knocked Lester Martinez down in the eighth round when they fought.
Two of the judges scored the fight 95-94.
Now remember the war Lester gave Christian Mbilli last year on the undercard of Canelo vs. Crawford…
And on that same card, Santana knocked out American Steven Nelson in the very first round.
As I said, he may not have the biggest drawing power, but he would provide a serious challenge for Wilkens Mathieu.
Photo: Boxing Scene – Diego Pacheco vs Trevor McCumby
Trevor McCumby (28-2, 21 KOs)
Next, a fight against Trevor McCumby would provide a real measuring stick for the young Quebecer against elite-level competition.
McCumby lost his last two fights, but those defeats came against Caleb Plant and Diego Pacheco.
He was stopped in the ninth round by Plant, but not before knocking him down in the fourth.
His fight against Pacheco went the full twelve rounds.
Before that, Trevor McCumby had won his first 28 professional fights.
Clearly, he can box and has plenty of experience. He has gone twelve rounds and knows what it is like to face top-tier fighters.
That said, I wouldn’t pick Mathieu to lose this fight. I believe he would be the favorite, and a convincing victory could send a strong message to the rest of the division.
Photo: Tapology – Carlos Gongora vs Ali Akhmedov
Carlos Gongora (22-4, 17 KOs)
For the third option, I’m suggesting a fighter who is probably still remembered by many Montreal boxing fans.
Carlos Gongora is a tough opponent who punches hard and knows how to pull off an upset.
The former IBO world champion gave Christian Mbilli a war in 2023. Those who remember the fight may recall that he nearly stopped Mbilli in the eighth round.
Since then, he lost a decision to Lester Martinez and was stopped in the fifth round by Atif Oberlton.
So yes, he may be less dangerous than when Mbilli faced him.
But the fight would come at a different stage in their careers.
If Wilkens were able to stop the Ecuadorian, something neither Mbilli nor Martinez managed to do, it would still be a notable accomplishment.
And Gongora remains dangerous. That should not be forgotten…
Photo: Tapology – Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Sergiy Derevyanchenko (16-6, 11 KOs) #8 WBC
The fourth opponent I’m proposing is also well known to Quebec boxing fans.
Sergiy Derevyanchenko fought Christian Mbilli in Quebec City in 2024, losing by unanimous decision to the Montreal-based contender.
However, the Ukrainian has faced several outstanding fighters.
We’re talking about Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermall Charlo, Jaime Munguia, and many others.
Sure, he may not have won those fights, but they were all highly competitive.
Several of those decisions could have gone either way. Unfortunately for Derevyanchenko, he often ended up on the wrong side of them.
What remains impressive is that he has fought some of the very best in the sport and has never been stopped.
Before Wilkens faced Esquiva Falcao, Sergiy Derevyanchenko’s name was also being discussed as a potential opponent.
I’m convinced that if the opportunity arose, Wilkens would jump at the chance to compare himself to Christian Mbilli.
And who knows, maybe he could perform even better than “Solide.”
Photo: NY Fights – Kevin Lele Sadjo vs Alaa Almahmoud
Kevin Lele Sadjo (29-1, 25 KOs) #7 WBC, #6 IBF, #8 WBO, #12 WBA
To conclude, I’m proposing a home-run opponent.
During discussions surrounding Esquiva Falcao and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Kevin Lele Sadjo’s name also came up.
The Frenchman is ranked among the top 15 fighters by all four major sanctioning bodies.
For Wilkens, this would be a golden opportunity to move as close as possible to a world title fight in the shortest amount of time.
For Kevin Lele Sadjo, it would be a chance to prove that he can still compete with the elite.
Sadjo lost a highly contested fight against Diego Pacheco in December of last year. He even knocked the American down in the eighth round.
Since then, he has won three fights, though none against opponents of Wilkens’ caliber.
If this fight were to happen, it’s the type of matchup where the winner would find himself with both feet firmly planted in the world title picture.
And if that happens, let me tell you, things could get very crowded at 168 pounds for Eye of the Tiger.
