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Iglesias vs Zaren for the unified world championship, with Mathieu vs Shishkin in the co-main event of a record-breaking card in Quebec City on October 8!

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MONTREAL, August 14, 2026 — The Théâtre Capitole of Quebec City will be the site of a historic night on October 8, as EOTTM presents a card featuring a record nine titles on the line, including three world championships. Osleys Iglesias will defend his unified IBF and IBO titles against undefeated Oliver Zaren, while Wilkens Mathieu will face Vladimir Shishkin in a bid to retain his NABF title.

“Historic is a term that is often overused in sports, but this time, the numbers speak for themselves: nine titles on the line at a single card in Quebec is simply unprecedented. It is all the more exciting for us to present an event of this magnitude at the Capitole, one of the most beautiful venues in North America, where every seat gives our fans the opportunity to be at the heart of the action,” said Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan.

In the main event, one of the most feared champions in boxing, Osleys ‘El Tornado’ Iglesias (15-0, 14 KO), will make the first defense of his IBF world title, as well as the fifth defense of his IBO super-middleweight title. Last April, the Cuban-born fighter captured the vacant IBF title by handing Russia’s Pavel Silyagin his first defeat, forcing him to retire after eight rounds. Prior to that, Iglesias earned his world title opportunity by stopping another Russian contender, Vladimir Shishkin, also in the eighth round. Those two stoppage victories are a reflection of his career as a whole: with an impressive 93% KO ratio, Iglesias leads all current world champions, across all weight classes, in that category.

Undefeated contender Oliver ‘The Great Dane’ Zaren (19-0-1, 8 KO), however, has no fear of stepping into the eye of the storm as he looks to write his own page in history. A former super-middleweight Intercontinental champion and current IBF #5 world contender, the Dane has fought across Europe, including for the European title. He is now trained by none other than legendary Mikkel Kessler, considered by many to be the greatest Danish boxer of all time. Zaren will therefore arrive in Québec with the ambition of becoming the first Dane since his mentor to bring a world title back home.

“This fight is a dream come true for me, a dream I have cherished since childhood, and one that will ultimately come true with my victory. Osleys Iglesias is strong, tall, powerful, and I know he scares even the world’s elite… but not me, because I know my level. On October 8, I will not come to Québec as a visitor. I will come as a conqueror,” said Scandinavian warrior Oliver Zaren.

In the co-main event, the youngest contender in the world’s top 15 at super-middleweight, Wilkens Mathieu (16-0, 11 KO), will look to continue his rapid rise as he defends his North American (NABF) title against former world title challenger Vladimir Shishkin (17-2, 11 KO). Last June, the Québec fighter became the first to stop Olympic medalist Esquiva Falcao, in the first main event of the first gala held at the Capitole de Québec. That victory, following his October win over Shakeel Phinn, propelled the Québec native into the rankings of all four major sanctioning bodies in his division, including #8 WBC, #14 WBA, and #15 WBO and IBF. However, the 21-year-old athlete is not aiming for the top 15, top 10, or even top 5. He has his sights set on the summit, and he intends to get there sooner rather than later.

“After beating Vladimir Shishkin, William Scull and Osleys Iglesias both went on to fight for world titles. So I sincerely hope the same thing happens for me, because I already feel ready to beat anyone in the world at 168 pounds,” said the ever-confident Wilkens Mathieu.

Like Mathieu, Québec headliner Leïla Beaudoin (15-2, 2 KO) will also return to the Capitole de Québec for her second consecutive fight at the venue. After winning the WBA interim world championship at super-featherweight (130 lb) by dominating Colombia’s Paulina Angel last June, the Bas-Saint-Laurent native, who became the third Québec woman in history to win a world title, will make her first defense against a contender to be announced shortly.

“My training camp has just begun, but I already feel ready to face anyone. Winning a world title is one thing and defending it is another, but once again, I’ll have the crowd behind me and I don’t intend to disappoint my fans on October 8,” said Témiscouata’s pride and joy, Leïla Beaudoin.

In what will be the first fight between two EOTTM fighters in more than five years, two-time Olympian and two-time (WBC and IBF) continental lightweight champion, Dzmitry Asanau (13-0, 7 KO), will face Montreal’s NABF champion, Luis Santana (16-0, 7 KO), in another clash between undefeated fighters.

“We’re talking about a ‘Tiger vs. Tiger’ fight, but in the jungle, only one can be king. And the crown isn’t given, it’s taken,” said Luis Santana, who was victorious in a local showdown in his most recent outing against Montreal’s Chann Thonson.

“Our motto is simple: we refuse no one. I have a lot of respect for Luis Santana and his team. He is a man and a boxer I appreciate, but this time, our paths cross. One zero will have to disappear from someone’s record, and I intend to make sure it isn’t Dzmitry’s,” said the trainer of the Belarusian-born fighter, Samuel Décarie-Drolet, whose protégé is ranked #3 by the WBC and #4 by the IBF.

The card will also feature the return of Marc Ramsay protégé, Olympic medalist and top-five world contender Imam Khataev (12-1, 11 KO), who will defend his NABF light heavyweight title against Irish contender Padraig McCrory (20-2, 10 KO). The warrior from Thetford Mines, Thomas Chabot (13-1, 8 KO), will also put his WBC featherweight continental title on the line against Spanish veteran Jose Antonio Sanchez (18-3-1, 6 KO).

The next generation will also be showcased on this nine-fight card. EOTTM prospect Erik Israyelyan (6-0, 4 KO) will face Canadian prospect Jesse Frank Sallows (6-1, 5 KO). In an all-Québec clash, Lanaudière boxer Jacob Blais (0-1) will take on Capitale-Nationale native Yoan Trottier (0-2), while popular Trois-Rivières native Daylen Pepin (2-1) will also be in action against an opponent to be announced shortly.

Columns
Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch
Canelo Demands $100 Million for Crawford Rematch
By Dong Secuya

When fight figures cross into nine-digit guarantees, the conversation usually turns cynica…

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