The boxing event this Saturday in Quebec City will feature fighters from all over the world, with boxers coming from as far as Germany, Argentina and the United States to show their talents at Centre Videotron. One fighter who lives driving distance away has his eyes set on stealing the show.

Thomas Chabot, a featherweight prospect who hails from 90 minutes away in Thetford Mines, Quebec, may be competing early on the Christian Mbilli-Sergiy Derevyanchenko undercard, but the 24-year-old southpaw has a style that is guaranteed to leave an impression on viewers.

Chabot (10-0, 8 knockouts) will face Matias Ezequiel Guenemil (10-3-1, 5 KOs) in an eight round bout that will be featured on the ESPN+ portion of the broadcast. Chabot is familiar with his Argentinian opponent, having seen him two years ago when he faced his stablemate Avery Martin Duval, who is also signed to Eye of the Tiger Management.

“I’m coming to Quebec to steal the show for sure. I’m expecting [Guenemil] to come and bring a war in the ring,” said Chabot. “My opponent has fought Duval and it was a close decision so I’m expecting a tough fight.”

Though Chabot likes to fight, he has the pedigree of a boxer.

Photo by Vincent Ethier/EOTTM©2020

Chabot competed 88 times an amateur, losing just 14 times and winning four Canadian national titles. He also represented Canada internationally at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.

He started boxing at age 11 when, as a pre-teen playing the country’s national sport of hockey, he realized that he was better suited to follow his father’s footsteps and become a boxer.

“Then I thought, I’m kind of a loner, I’m more into individual sports so that’s why I started boxing. It was more suited for me with my personality,” said the French speaking Chabot, who shares a name with an Ottawa Senators defenseman.

Thetford Mines, which has a population of about 26,000, was best known for being the “Asbestos Capital of the World” before the health risks led to the banning of the mineral for the use of in-home insulation. What it has never been known for is an overabundance of sparring partners. Chabot found himself having to spar grown men as a teenager, and by the time he was 16 or 17, figured he had outgrown the local scene. He moved with his mother to Montreal to continue his boxing career.

Growing up, his favorite boxers included fellow Quebecois brawler Arturo Gatti and Lucian Bute, the Romanian-Canadian lefty who engaged in many memorable fights in Montreal and Quebec City earlier this century. He also had a soft spot for Manny Pacquiao, who was always glad to exchange punches toe to toe.

Those fighters helped influence him to become the blood and guts warrior he is now, though he admits he’s still working on transitioning his style from the punches in bunches strategy of amateur boxing to the measured pace of professional boxing.

“I’ve always been an offensive fighter, always coming to attack. What has been the toughest for me is that I need to be more patient and choose my punches instead of just throwing and throwing, I have to lower the volume of punches and just go with the quality of punches,” said Chabot, who is trained by Lazlo Marien and François Duguay in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, just north of the U.S. border.

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So far, there’s been plenty of drama in his fights, which is great for boxing fans but can be worrisome for his backers. Chabot has been down at least three times so far in his early career, including in his second pro fight in February of 2020 against Luz Marcos Garcia, who put Chabot down for a count only to be stopped within the first 84 seconds of the bout. Chabot also touched the canvas twice in his bout against Jonathan Baranda in December of 2022, only to rise off the canvas to score a close but unanimous decision.

Chabot’s last fight was in May, when he knocked out the 6-1-1 Alfredo Jimenez Espino in five rounds.

He may be known as “The Ghost,” but Chabot has so far not been invisible to his opponents. Still, he has shown flashes of technical ability, like in his second round stoppage of Maximino Toala in 2022, when he used his footwork and jab to maintain his punching space and prevent Toala from tying up while hurt, leading to the stoppage.

Chabot’s other strengths include a withering body attack, which had folded up Armando Ramirez in two rounds when they fought in September of 2022, and a work rate that few can keep up with.

Promoter Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management says the hope is that Chabot, who turned professional shortly after his 20th birthday in 2020, will continue to mature physically as he enters into his mid-20s. One thing Estephan doesn’t have to worry about is people demanding their money back after he fights.

“He’s got tremendous stamina and unbelievable recuperation. He’s a very offensive fighter so he takes a lot of risks and a lot of chances, The crowd loves him because he’s Fight of the Night almost every time that he fights. He’s blood, guts and glory,” said Estephan, who is co-promoting Saturday’s event with Top Rank.

Estephan adds that the plan is for Chabot to fight one more eight round bout after this, and then begin stepping him up into ten round and regional title fights.

Chabot acknowledges that he has plenty to work on, and will have a chance to show his growth against Guenemil, a 30-year-old from Buenos Aires, Argentina who has never been stopped in 14 pro fights.

“I know that it is tremendous visibility that I can have fighting on ESPN so I want to give a good showing. It’s also a great opportunity to showcase what Thetford Mines boxing and Quebec boxing is all about. I want to give it all because I’m aware of the opportunity it represents to move my career to the next level,” said Chabot.

“My dream is to become a world champion but I know I need to be patient. There are things I need to improve on before I get there. I believe I will get there.”

The Mbilli-Derevyanchenko and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Guido Vianello fights will be broadcast live on ESPN, beginning at 10 p.m. ET, with the undercard to be shown on ESPN+, beginning at 5 p.m.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].