Shakan Pitters: I am ready for full throttle
Poster for the mouthwatering European title clash with Bradley Rea
ELEGANT light-heavyweight Shakan Pitters’ bid to take the European title on Saturday night is reward for his implicit “trust in the process”.
Many boxers’ trust in professional boxing’s process would’ve been sorely tested by the twist and turns in this long-awaited big belt bid by the former British champ. Many would’ve decided, months ago, it was destined to never happen.
Pitters kept believing, kept training and this weekend, at Hull’s Connexion Live arena, faces Bradley Rea for the vacant EBU belt.
“I always believed it would happen,” the Birmingham 35-year-old told me, “but who the opponent would be is something I’m not in control of or fussed about. I had to trust the process.”
Shakan’s Euro chance, originally scheduled for last February, has been blighted by more storylines and sub-plots than Emmerdale. It’s been tough for even hardened fight fans to follow the complex chain of events.
He was originally slated to face champ Daniel Dos Santos in February, only for the 12 rounder to be scrapped at the last minute following concerns over the Frenchman’s medical.
With Dos Santos finally given the all-clear, the fight was re-scheduled for April. This time Pitters was forced to withdraw through injury on the week of the contest.
Rea, from Stretford, Lancashire, was then drafted in at short notice to face Dos Santos. That one went south – again on the very eve of the date – for reasons I’m still not sure of.
Even Saturday’s showdown has not been without incident. Shak and Rea were originally scheduled to meet in Galway, then the show was switched to Hull.
You have to praise promoters GBM Sports for staying by their commitment to Pitters. They could’ve been forgiven for feeling the event was cursed.
For Shak, the huge opportunity is well deserved – he’s a thoroughly nice, polite individual with a sharp intellect.
And it is a huge opportunity. Succeed and money-spinning world class engagements await, such as a potential blockbuster West Midlands title derby with Ben Whittaker.
Pitters is no ordinary boxer. For starters, he’s sky-scraper tall for a light-heavyweight at 6ft 6ins – his left lead is so long, it appears to be thrown from a different timezone.
And away from the ring, the dapper athlete has made his mark as a top model.
“I do boxing out of enjoyment, not to add anything to me,” he said. “I enjoy fighting and competing, there’s no pressure.”
In Rea, he faces, I believe, a tougher opponent than Dos Santos. The 27-year-old has lost only one of 21 and won 10 by stoppage. That sole defeat came on points against Rowley Regis’ Tyler Denny for the English middleweight title back in 2022. Tyler was hurt by a body shot in the ninth.
“He’s in the way,” said Shakan. “Training has gone well, I’ve trained really hard. The main aim is to get the win and I know the way to get the win.”
“I prepare for full throttle. Every fight is that way (a ‘must win’) because the losses you have hold you back, they put you in the ‘who needs him?’ category. One step at a time – Bradley is in the way and I have to take him out.”
Pitters has learned how to win through the only two losses on his 22 bout CV, he insists. His first defence of the Lonsdale Belt ended in ninth round stoppage to Craig Richards, then Dan Azeez outpointed him three years ago.
“At the age of 35, I’m a better fighter, a more seasoned fighter,” he added. “Those losses I’ve had, I’ll end up making them wins. There are more things to my game, the trials and tribulations have made me a stronger fighter. I’ve stayed in the gym, worked on things and worked to get better.”
Shakan, a man who walks the catwalk by day, takes a ring walk to potential stardom on Saturday.
The fight will be screened by DAZN.