Pitters v Dos Santos title fight is back on

Shakan Pitters and Dos Santos will fight at York Hall on April 14

DRAMATIC developments in the saga of Shakan Pitters European title fight.

The Birmingham light-heavyweight’s title challenge to champion Daniel Dos Santos is back on – and will take place at York Hall, Bethnal Green, on April 14.

That was a contest that appeared dead and buried after the Frenchman was ruled out only days before the pair were set to meet in Sheffield last Friday. Instead, Pitters stayed sharp with a second round stoppage of Iranian Bahadur Karami.

Dos Santos was pulled from the headliner after France’s boxing federation announced he’d failed a pre-fight medical.

It has now emerged the fighter has challenged that decision – and won.

A spokesman for promoters GBM Sports said: “Dos Santos has now successfully overturned that finding following a battery of enhanced tests and scans which have proved conclusively that he is clear to compete and that the initial finding was an error. 

“The EBU has confirmed that Dos Santos remains the reigning, defending European light-heavyweight champion.”

Shakan certainly endured troubled times in the run-up to the September 7 Sheffield show. First Dos Santos fell by the wayside, then a hastily arranged 12 rounder with Belgium’s Lee Ingelrest for the vacant belt was ruled out by our own Board of Control.

Lancashire Mickey Ellison was put forward as a non-title opponent, but that contest also failed to make it over the line. Karami eventually came to the rescue.

That’s four different opponents in a matter of days for 35-year-old Shak. He’d be forgiven for only believing the European title fight is happening when the ring walk begins.

GBM boss Izzy Asif said: “It’s been an unbelievably dramatic start to the year, but the delay has only heightened anticipation and we are delighted now to take this European light-heavyweight championship clash to the capital.

“Daniel Dos Santos and Shakan Pitters are raring to go and we’ve got a stacked undercard coming together for what will be another big night of British boxing on DAZN.”

April’s show will also feature undefeated super-lightweights Ben Crocker and Tienan Bradley, with Crocker defending his IBF European championship, and Emma Dolan defending her British and Commonwealth super-flyweight Championship against Lauren Parker.