EBU orders Shakan Pitters vs Bradley Rea for vacant European light-heavyweight title

Shakan Pitters vs Bradley Rea ordered for the vacant European light-heavyweight title

The EBU have ordered Shakan Pitters (20-2, 7 KOs) and Bradley Rea (20-1, 10 KOs) to contest their now-vacant light-heavyweight title.

Shakan Pitters is the official challenger to the European light-heavyweight title and Bradley Rea is ranked #14.

Pitters, 35 from Birmingham, is a former English and British light-heavyweight champion. His only defeats have come against world class opponents, Craig Richards in 2020 and Dan Azeez in 2022.

Manchester's Rea, 27, has lost just once, to in-form Tyler Denny for the English middleweight title in 2022. He has go on to win his next six successive contests, five by KO.

Shak is 6'6" and towers over most of his opponents, but Rea is also tall and rangy so a match-up between the two likeable Brits will be a close contest. BoxRec currently ranks Rea at #12 and Pitters at #14 in the British ratings.

The situation with the European light-heavyweight belt has been chaotic, unfortunate and confusing. Below is a timeline of the events surrounding the 175lbs blue belt over the past few months.

Timeline of events

December 16: Daniel Dos Santos vs Shakan Pitters for the EBU light-heavyweight title is announced by GBM Sports, to take place on February 7 in Sheffield

February 5: Daniel Dos Santos is not authorised to fight, “Due to serious medical conditions”, an EBU statement read

February 6: Promoter Izzy Asif finds a replacement opponent, Lee Ingelrest, that's cleared to fight Pitters for the vacant EBU title, but is later declared over the weight limit to contest the title

February 7: Shakan Pitters fights Bahadur Karami instead, winning via TKO-2. The European title fight with Dos Santos is rescheduled for on April 4 in London’s York Hall

April 1: Shakan Pitters hospitalised, withdraws from contest

April 2: Bradley Rea announced as replacement opponent

April 4: Daniel Dos Santos decides against fighting and withdraws from the contest with Rea

April 10: EBU order Shakan Pitters vs Bradley Rea

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