The two men who previously beat Shakan Pitters in the paid ranks parlayed that success into bigger and better opportunities. Brad Rea's gutsy career-best win should catapult him into the same.

Craig Richards (19-4-1, 12 KOs) snapped the Birmingham man's perfect 14-0 record with a ninth-round stoppage victory in December 2020, before being offered an unexpected world title shot against then WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol five months later.

Judges Yury Koptsev (115-113) and Steve Gray (115-114) scored it closer than most observers and gave Richards a sinking feeling, wondering what might've been had he not allowed Bivol to command the early rounds and build up a comfortable lead.

He has since fallen short against Willy Hutchinson in a Saudi showcase, though big 'make-or-break' fights have since been promised going forward by Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn.

Dan Azeez (21-2-1, 13 KOs) made his first British title defence against the former champion almost two full years later and was a comprehensive winner over 12 rounds.

In-form and firing on all cylinders, he subsequently lost competitive fights to Joshua Buatsi and Lewis Edmondson a year after winning the EBU title Rea has just collected.

The last three champions have all vacated European honours without a single defence, though Rea - much like Azeez before him - knows how difficult the road to reach this juncture has proven after starting his career on the small-hall circuit.

His promoter, Steve Wood, acknowledged as much during a post-fight interview on the DAZN broadcast in the ring.

"There was a lot of pressure on Brad and us at VIP [Boxing Promotions], it's great he delivered because when you come on here, he's in a fantastic position if he wins and everyone will gun for him but if he loses, it's back to the game of snakes and ladders. We've stuck with him over the last 18 months, now we can see who's coming [with fight offers]."

One thing Rea has over Richards, Azeez and Pitters is age. The trio are 35 while Rea turned 27 in February and is very much getting to grips with his new weight division. Performances like these might not do wonders for his longevity against harder-punching contenders, though it's a welcome advert for 50-50 matchups.

"These are the type of fights I'm in, I can't understand why I'm not on shows because when I am, this is what I do," he said post-fight.

"I delivered, felt like I won most of the early rounds but he came back and felt he was outworking me. I got a second wind and was landing the bigger power shots in a close fight, I wouldn't have complained if it went the other way."

The prospect of a rematch was immediately put to him and Pitters' promoter Izzy Asif, though Rea insisted it would have to be in Manchester after receiving a rousing reception with many travelling fans energised by his gritty work 100 miles from home.

Zach Parker, Hutchinson and Ezra Taylor are among the EBU's highly-ranked contenders who could feature in fresh matchups with Rea as his body grows accustomed to a new weight division.

Dos Santos, most notably known for being viciously stopped by Buatsi in May 2021, didn't have the same cache Pitters possesses and their cancelled matchup proved a blessing in disguise.

A quick look at the EBU's ratings and two non-UK names feature in the top-10: Poland's Robert Parzeczewski (34-2, 20 KOs) and Russia's Vasily Voytsekhovsky (14-0, 7 KOs).

One has lost both times he stepped up, the other remains unproven at 28 with suspect matchmaking. Europe's best light-heavyweights are, for the most part, scattered across the UK.

"This is my weight for the future, my first 12-rounder against a seasoned pro and I was feeling it [the pace], this game is tough but I loved every second of it. I've been fighting on small-hall shows against journeymen but nights like these, that's what I live for.

"This is my bargaining chip, I've got a big target on my back now and want to be active. I'm just relieved, every setback I've had, just kept going and wanted to show that I'm good enough. I've proved there that I am, keep working and it's paid off."