Wilkens Mathieu barely took time to breathe, but in his fight against Oscar Soto Quintana at the Cabaret du Casino de Montreal on Thursday night, the lack of rest and the Quebec-Montreal trip didn't seem to bother him at all.
The 19-year-old Quebecer called it quits right at the start of the fourth round, with the Mexican camp preferring to throw in the towel. In this battle only a single but devastating blow was struck.
In his first fight outside of Mexico, Quintana (6-5, 2 KOs) put on a courageous, not to say reckless, performance. Mathieu (7-0, 4 KOs) peppered him with punches, but his knees never seemed to bend. Respect was earned on both sides.
The Quebec native's previous duel against Jose Arias Alvarez lasted six more rounds before he finally won by unanimous decision. And that was on January 13th at the Videotron Center.
“It’s really maintenance. After your first fight, which may have been intense, you just want to stay “sharp.” You have to keep your senses sharp and arrive in top shape,” explained Mathieu after the fight.
Deep down he wanted the knockout. and he understood it. In his opinion, this seventh professional appearance was the best of his young career. “I stayed intelligent, I stayed focused,” he assured.
“I told myself that this would be my biggest challenge in my career,” Mathieu added. […] I threw combinations with all my might and he didn't fall. It was hard to stop him, but I told myself I would stop trying to take him out in one shot.”
Winning twice in 12 days is also the feat achieved by Moreno Fendero in the first fight of the gala, defeating his Mexican rival Ricardo Lara in just 1 minute and 46 seconds. The 24-year-old Frenchman was also on the Eye of the Tiger Management card in the Capitale-Nationale.