Wilkens Mathieu remains unbeaten with split decision win over Vladimir Shishkin

Wilkens Mathieu moves up to 17-0

The vibrant atmosphere of the Capitole de Quebec witnessed an unforgettable night of boxing this Thursday, October 8, 2026, promoted by Eye of The Tiger, where talent and grit inside the squared circle delivered top-tier bouts that shook up international rankings.

Dzmitry Asanau vs Luis Santana

In the co-headline bout between undefeated lightweight contenders, Dzmitry Asanau (Canada / UAE) took a giant step toward the world elite by securing a wide unanimous decision victory over his promotional stablemate, Canadian Luis Santana.

The judges delivered scorecards of 98-91, 98-91, and 97-92, dictating the superiority of Asanau (14-0, 7 KOs), who with this brilliant performance captured the WBC Continental Americas title, alongside claiming the coveted NABF belt. From the opening bell, Asanau set the pace with a blistering jab and superb ring movement that baffled Santana.

Despite the relentless pressure and bravery of the Canadian, who sought to cut off the ring and force an exchange, the European’s precise hooks and right uppercut dictated the tempo of the contest. A knockdown in the third round dented Santana’s aspirations; although he suffered his first professional defeat (16-1, 7 KOs), he sold the loss dearly, cementing Asanau as one of the firmest realities on the path toward a world title opportunity with the green and gold organization.

Wilkens Mathieu vs Vladimir Shishkin

Meanwhile, in the co-feature bout of the card, sensational local prospect and pride of Quebec City, Wilkens Mathieu (17-0, 11 KOs), had to dig deep in the toughest and most demanding test of his young career to overcome experienced Russian Vladimir Shishkin (17-3, 11 KOs) by split decision. At 21 years of age, Mathieu demonstrated tactical maturity, speed, and sharp body punching over ten intense rounds.

Although the vast majority of the action correctly reflected the skill of the hometown fighter—with two officials turning in identical 98-92 cards in his favor, against a dissenting 97-93 for the Russian—Shishkin pushed the Eye of The Tiger Promotions protégé to his absolute physical and mental limits. With this crucial victory, the talented 168-pound fighter successfully defended his NABF super middleweight crown.

Osleys Iglesias vs Oliver Zaren

Undefeated Osleys Iglesias slowly battered his larger challenger Oliver Zaren into a seventh-round stoppage, retaining his IBF and IBO super middleweight titles,

Zaren’s trainer, former champion Mikkel Kessler, threw in the towel in the seventh after watching his fighter absorb sustained punishment. The Dane’s toughness kept him in the fight, but he could not produce enough offense to change its direction.

Iglesias (16-0, 15 KOs) had to work longer than he has against some of his previous opponents, steadily breaking Zaren down rather than ending the contest with an early knockout. The challenger took the shots and continued trying, giving the Cuban time to demonstrate how effectively he can wear down an opponent who doesn’t go away immediately.

“I hope the winner [Canelo-Mbilli] faces me. I’d like my next fight to be a Unification,” said Iglesias about wanting to fight the winner of the October 31st fight between WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli and Canelo Alvarez.

Zaren looked bigger, but that size did little to slow Iglesias. The champion controlled the contest and landed cleanly, increasing his output as the rounds passed. Zaren was spending too much of the fight absorbing punches without delivering enough back to make Iglesias hesitate.

That was the difference between surviving and competing. Zaren remained on his feet, but there was little reason to expect the fight to turn in his favor. Kessler eventually made the decision his fighter’s durability had delayed, preventing further punishment in a contest that had become one-sided.

The 26-year-old Zaren (19-1-1, 8 KOs) entered his first world title challenge ranked fifth by the IBF. His unbeaten record had been built without a victory over a leading super middleweight, and Iglesias exposed how much more was required at championship level.

For Iglesias, 28, this was his first IBF defense after winning the vacant belt against Pavel Silyagin in April. He has now stopped Vladimir Shishkin, Silyagin and Zaren in consecutive fights.

Bigger names remain the next test. Zaren gave Iglesias rounds and showed considerable toughness, but he never forced the champion to fight on his terms. Iglesias leaves Quebec with another challenger worn down and another stoppage on his record.