Photo: Vincent Ethier – Wilkens Mathieu, walking towards the ring in Quebec City, exactly 19 days before walking back towards the arena, this time in Montreal, on September 5.
In January, Wilkens Mathieu (10-0, 6 KOs) set a goal for himself to fight “six or seven times” in 2024. Here we are, on September 5th, as he’ll be stepping into the ring for his sixth bout of the year, facing the veteran Argentine fighter Rolando Mansilla. If all goes well, we could see him back at the Casino de Montréal as early as November 7th for fight number seven.
“It was the right time for me. I’m young, and I could never be this active with 4 or 6-round fights,” says the busiest boxer in the country, who will also reach another milestone on September 5th.
“This will be my first 8-round fight, and the challenge will be to manage my energy. I’m really excited to see how I’ll handle it, actually!”
Who’s Next?
For this significant first, the 19-year-old athlete will face a veteran literally twice his age (38 years old), Rolando ‘Peligro’ Mansilla (19-15-1, 9 KOs). The tireless Argentine, whose nickname translates to ‘danger’ in English, boasts 182 rounds of experience, including several against elite fighters.
He’s faced Ezequiel Maderna in 2015, Roamer Angulo in 2017, Rohan Murdock in 2018, Kevin Lele Sadjo in 2019, and Julian Williams in 2022. However, he’s best known for his most recent fight last May when he went the distance in a 6-round bout against Moreno Fendero in Shawinigan.
“He was really solid,” said Fendero, who did everything but knock him out.
Another thing to know about Mansilla: he’s the only man to have stopped the unbreakable Facundo Galovar (15-12-2, 9 KOs), the Argentine who just went the distance – except for the weigh-in – against Wilkens Mathieu at the Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City.
The Next Goal?
But after being named EOTTM’s 2023 Rookie of the Year and being the most active fighter in the country – tied with Jhon Orobio – in 2024, what will his target be for 2025?
“I’d aim for four or five fights and a first 10-rounder for my first belt,” projects the super middleweight prospect from Quebec.
And between now and this first championship fight, the athlete guided by Mike Moffa, at the Underdog Annex in Montreal, continues and will continue to perfect his art. To do so, he regularly visits the Ramsay Boxing Academy, where he puts on gloves with athletes already at this level; Christian Mbilli, Erik Bazinyan, Mehmet Unal, etc.
“Training with guys like that definitely motivates me, but sparring is still just sparring. I can’t rest on that. I have to keep proving that I can get the job done when the real fights come,” concludes the humble boxer, who will be seeking his 11th “real” victory on September 5th.
