Brad Rea earned a unanimous decision victory over Shakan Pitters to win the European light-heavyweight title.
At the end of 12 often-bruising rounds, he was awarded scores of 115-114, 115-114 and 115-113 at the Connexin Live in Hull, England.
The victory over his fellow Englishman may even represent the best of his career.
Rea, 27 and largely owing to a strong start, quickly built a promising lead. In the opening round he targeted Pitters’ body, and in the second he had enough confidence to switch southpaw and rely on his feet to take him in and out of range.
Pitters may come to reflect that his caution in the first half of the fight was ultimately what cost him. When in the fifth round they fought on the inside and he was punished by Rea landing several uppercuts he appeared on course to lose convincingly.
He instead responded admirably in the seventh, and thereafter used his advantage in size to test Rea until the final bell.
The 35-year-old Pitters’ engine meant that he not only absorbed Rea’s intensity, but matched it. From then, until the end of the 12th round, they willingly and fearlessly traded, delivering some particularly testing exchanges, until Rea was awarded victory and the vacant title by the understandably narrow scores.
“I love this; I absolutely love this,” Rea said, post-fight. “No disrespect, [but] I’ve been fighting on small-hall shows against journeymen. I’ve not been in fights like this for a long time – this is what I live for.
“Keep putting me on these shows, and I’ll keep delivering.”
Also at light heavyweight, the Dutchman Gradus Kraus had, by then, stopped Ross McGuigan, also of England, inside two rounds.
