Shakeel Phinn has been a professional for a decade and shared the ring with some solid operators, but the Canadian super middleweight has never been given a big opportunity. That is until now.

Quebec’s Phinn will take on highly-touted countryman Wilkens Mathieu for two vacant regional titles at Montreal Casino in Montreal on Thursday night.

“I honestly think it’s a great local matchup between two of the best here in Canada,” Phinn told The Ring. “I’m excited for the challenge myself. I think it’s a little too soon for Wilkens, but hey, I’m here to take the titles. I said, 'I can’t pass that opportunity up.’

“That’s the plan to upset the whole show. I think they have me as the underdog again, which makes no sense, cause he’s the one who is coming up to fight me. But I’ll take it. I like being the underdog in some of these fights just to prove everybody wrong.”

Montreal’s Mathieu (14-0, 10 KOs) has been calling out Phinn (27-3-2, 17 KOs) for a while and the older man is keen to stand his ground. As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for.

“I really think it’s something he just doesn’t know,” Phinn said. “I’m happy he’s confident. I want a confident fighter coming to fight me. I don’t want someone who doesn’t think they’ll win.

“He called me out last year after I fought Erik Bazinyan, and look, if they want to keep feeding me these Eye of The Tiger fighters, I’ll just keep taking them out.”

In the aforementioned fight with Bazinyan in May 2024, Phinn gave a really good account of himself. He had many feeling he was unlucky not to get his hand raised, instead settling for a split draw.

“Everybody from the commentators on ESPN, commentators here, I got messages from all over, how I got robbed,” he said. “It was a pretty devastating draw. I believe I should have won.”

The 34-year-old Phinn hopes to harness his experience as well as the disappointment and deliver against the young upstart. Phinn recognizes Mathieu has talent, but he intends to bring him back to Earth with a bump.

“When we did our face off in the ring,” Phinn said, “I don’t take much from that. He had to say what he had to say to make everyone think he’s confident of winning the fight. I’ve watched a couple of fights of his on YouTube. He’s a slick, athletic guy. It's not something I’ve never seen, but obviously I’m fighting him for the first time, so I’ve never seen him before in the ring, but he’s never seen a guy like me. So, basically, we’re seeing something for the first time. I’m excited to show where I'm at."

There is more on the line for Phinn, who works a day job as a personal trainer, than just two minor titles and a fight with Mathieu.

“The plan is beat this kid,” Phinn said. “I’m a free agent, Eye of The Tiger would sign me, and I’d be a part of the stable, with all the other top 168-pounders in the world. They are the biggest promotional company in Canada and it’s rivaling the [promoters] in America. Camille is doing a great job. He got [Christian] Mbilli on a big stage against Lester Martinez. Those are the type of showings I’m trying to get to. I want to get those big stages and get the life-changing amount of money.

“All these things can lead to bigger and better things, but we can’t look too far ahead. We have this kid in front of us who wants to take from us. I’ve got to make sure I’m the man.”

Mathieu was a phenom as an amateur before switching to the professional ranks at 18 early in 2023.

Since then, the 20-year-old Mathieu has stayed busy by moving through the ranks and taking the necessary steps from four rounds, to six, to eight and now into a 10-rounder for the first time against Phinn.