Pitters, Wilson-Bent and Cooper to box at glitzy Excelsior club

Shakan Pitters…September date in Cannock

FORMER British light-heavyweight king Shakan Pitters will fight on the next Excelsior Sporting Club show in September.

And the third instalment of Scott Murray’s third instalment of the gilt-edged dinner show, at Cannock’s Premier Suite on Thursday, September 28, certainly oozes fighting talent.

Former amateur sensation Niall Farrell will have this third pro contest at the Excelsior, a black tie venue where he made his debut.

Coventry middleweight contender River Wilson-Bent is booked and Cannock’s own Ollie Cooper returns to the club in search of his sixth straight pro win.

It’s good to see 33-year-old Pitters again building momentum. He last fought in May – on a major televised show – and outpointed dangerous Joel McIntyre. That was his first bout in eight months.

Exceptionally tall, at 6ft 6ins, for a light-heavy, previous performances were punctured by inactivity. In September, 2022, Shakan stepped in the ring after a 10 month absence in a bid to regain his British title from Dan Azeez.

River Wilson-Bent…Coventry middleweight contender

He lost on points – a result that looks better as Azeez continues his rise to the top. After Pitters, he went on to stop Rocky Fielding and halt Thomas Faure for the European belt.

Pitters oozes talent and his rise to the top was faultless. He won the lucrative Ultimate Boxxer tournament, English title, then became British champ in 2020 in his 14th fight by gaining a landslide decision over Chad Sugden. Shakan, a former talented footballer, barely dropped a round in that unbeaten run.

Tipped for big things, Pitters came a cropper in his first defence of the Lonsdale Belt. He fought bravely against Craig Richards, recovering from a knockdown in the fourth to pull back the deficit before succumbing in the ninth.

That and the loss to Azeez are the only blemishes on a 20 fight record.

Manager Jon Pegg said: “I think Shakan can regain the British title, but it’s about keeping him busy. I think Shak and the rest have learnt the importance of staying active.

“He gave Dan Azeez a serious argument and I think inactivity was a decisive factor in that fight.”

Ollie Cooper…fighting again in his home town

Good to see southpaw Cooper back performing in his hometown.

Ollie took part in his first six rounder at the Excelsior in June, gaining a wide decision over tough Pavol Garaj.

He could be the man to put the pit town of Cannock on the modern boxing map.