Mid-Year 2025: Where Does Quebec Boxing Stand?

By William Dumoulin
Photo credit: Andréanne Lambert – Canada Fighting

After a historic 2024 that featured no fewer than 18 professional boxing cards, we’ve only reached 9 events halfway through 2025 — compared to 12 by this point last year. Despite this slowdown, here’s a look back at the first half of the year for boxing in Quebec, along with a glimpse of what lies ahead.

Quebec’s boxing scene has mostly shone on the local stage so far, with few opportunities abroad for our fighters. Among the exceptions, Mathieu Germain showed tremendous heart and grit, going the full 12 rounds against the dangerous Dalton Smith. Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev suffered the first loss of his career in his rematch against Dmitrii Bivol. Derek Pomerleau also deserves mention, as he dominated the first two phases of the WBC Grand Prix.

On the local front, the year kicked off with two January cards headlined by Mazlum Akdeniz and Shakeel Phinn, both delivering strong performances. February was slightly busier, highlighted by Arthur Biyarslanov’s two-round demolition of Mohamed Mimoune. That same month, Groupe Yvon Michel announced a partnership with British powerhouse Matchroom Boxing, which led to two events. The first saw Kim Clavel earn a shot at a world title after a hard-fought win over Anabel Ortiz. The second marked the long-awaited return of Alexis Barrière to the professional ring for the first time since 2023.

March was relatively quiet, largely due to the postponement of the highly anticipated clash between Steven Butler and Erik Bazinyan. In April, Christopher Guerrero captured his first minor title, overcoming the biggest challenge of his career. After a gala-free May, June delivered three events. The first featured Wyatt Sanford making his pro debut in Quebec, and he didn’t disappoint — scoring a first-round knockout.

On June 27, the Centre Vidéotron hosted a major event as Christian Mbilli claimed the interim WBC title against Poland’s Maciej Sulecki in front of more than 5,000 fans. The next day, over 4,500 spectators gathered to witness Jean Pascal’s final fight, as he was stopped in the fourth round by Poland’s Michal Cieslak in their interim WBC title bout.

What’s next for the rest of 2025?

After a calmer — yet still eventful — first half compared to 2024, what can we expect in the coming months? Osleys Iglesias is finally set to face Vladimir Shishkin in an IBF eliminator on September 4 at Casino de Montréal. Kim Clavel could also get another world title opportunity by year’s end, as she now holds a top ranking at 105 lbs. Artur Beterbiev may complete his trilogy against Dmitrii Bivol, potentially in October.

Meanwhile, Christian Mbilli could be fighting in Saudi Arabia, as Turki Alalshikh is looking to include him on one of his cards — potentially against the hard-hitting Lester Martinez.

Finally, local fans are still hoping to see the long-awaited matchup between Steven Butler and Erik Bazinyan finally happen after two cancellations.

With all these matchups on the horizon — and even more possibilities — the second half of 2025 promises to be just as thrilling and action-packed.