Birmingham’s Shaquan Pitters is open to a future fight with Ben Whittaker in the Midlands, but the former British light heavyweight champion wants to win the European title first.
Pitters, the mandatory challenger for the European 175-pound belt, remains focused on current champion Danielle Brenda dos Santos.
Joshua Buatsi is the only man to have beaten dos Santos, who beat fellow Frenchman Thomas Fall to claim the European crown in June.
Pitters, 19-2 (6), lost his 2022 UK title shot to Dan Azeez but has bounced back with two wins since then.
Boxing is thriving in the Midlands, with Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker a fast-rising star in the light heavyweight division.
“Ben comes from a good family, I know his father well and I know Ben well too, we’ve sparred a lot and as a Midlands fighter I want him to do well,” Pitters said. Sky Sports.
“He’s a good fighter, he’s worked hard and he’s put in so much effort to win that Olympic silver medal, so I’m happy he’s getting the attention he deserves. Awards aren’t just given out.”
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Whittaker says his next bout against Liam Cameron will be his toughest test yet, but believes he can win easily if he is the “real deal”.
Pitters expects Whittaker to continue working his way up the rankings and potentially fight for a championship in the future.
“I’m not saying no, I’m just saying I’m obviously on a different path now. I’m aiming for the European title so that’s where all my energy and focus is,” he said.
“If it makes business sense and it’s a game that fans want to see or that needs to be played, then nobody’s going to shy away from it.”
“It would be nice if there was a belt on the line too.”
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Whittaker responded to Chris Eubank Jr.’s comments about fighting him in the near future.
Pitters, a hulking light heavyweight boxer who stands at 6ft 6in, is absolutely confident in his ability to win the European title decisively and promises to go into the fight “full force and with ferocity”.
“I’m going to go out there, be prepared and put in a dominant performance,” he added.
“I’ve got to throw my hands around and win this belt, make a big statement and get my name back on the scene.”
Becoming European champions would suddenly put the Pitters in a position to demand bigger matches.
Pitters also revealed he is eager to avenge his two career losses, saying: “A rematch with Craig would be awesome. [Richards]A rematch with Dan Azeez would be awesome. I’m looking forward to every rematch because I believe they’re good fighters. As a fighter, I believe I can beat them.”
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