Wilkens Mathieu Passes the Test Against Shakeel Phinn

By William Dumoulin
Photo credit: Jeff Lockhart

This Thursday at the Montreal Casino, Wilkens Mathieu (15-0, 10 KOs) successfully passed the first real test of his career, earning a unanimous decision win (98-91 x2, 99-90) over Shakeel Phinn (27-4-2, 17 KOs) in the co-main event of the card headlined by Mary Spencer vs. Mikaela Mayer for a world title.

From the opening bell, Mathieu’s advantage in footwork and speed was clear. He excelled on the counterattack, firing sharp combinations that repeatedly found their mark. His precision even sent Phinn to the canvas in the third round, though he couldn’t finish the job then and there.

The pattern continued through the eighth round, when Wilkens had to absorb several heavy shots from his opponent. Still, he closed the fight strong and left the ring victorious.

After the bout, Mathieu said he wasn’t surprised by Phinn’s approach — if anything, he believes he caught the veteran off guard:

“I think I’m the one who surprised him. Not to sound cocky, but from the first round I could see it in his eyes — he didn’t expect that. My speed threw him off; he didn’t know what to do.”

“At first, I thought maybe it was a trap, maybe he was pretending not to know what to do. But in the end, he never made any real adjustments. I was just too fast for him.”

Looking ahead, Mathieu said he plans to take some time off before returning to the ring in the first quarter of 2026. As for potential opponents, he expressed strong interest in facing veteran Gabe Rosado.

Mayer Dominates Spencer

In a unified world title bout, WBA super-welterweight champion Mary Spencer (10-3, 6 KOs) fell to American Mikaela Mayer (22-2, 5 KOs) by unanimous decision (100-90, 98-92 x2). Mayer’s superior technique and relentless output proved too much for Spencer, who couldn’t adjust or slow her opponent down with power shots.

Biyarslanov Ready for the World Stage

In the toughest test of his career, Arthur Biyarslanov (20-0, 16 KOs) dominated veteran Sergey Lipinets (18-5-1, 13 KOs) from start to finish, winning a unanimous decision (97-92, 99-90, 96-93). The convincing victory confirms that Biyarslanov is ready to mix it up with the sport’s elite, as he currently sits ranked No. 7 by the WBC.

Other Results

• Mehmet Unal (14-0, 12 KOs) knocked out Ralfs Vilcans (18-3, 7 KOs) in the first round.

• Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) defeated Williams Andres Herrera (17-5, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision (97-93, 99-91, 98-92).

• Thomas Chabot (11-1, 8 KOs) lost a unanimous decision (78-72 x2, 79-71) to Logan Clouthier (7-0, 4 KOs).

• Erik Israyelyan (3-0, 2 KOs) edged Dylan Schroeder (6-1, 4 KOs) by split decision (40-36, 39-37, 37-39).