MANCHESTER — Pat Brown displayed destructive power to stop John Hedges in the sixth round at Co-op Live Arena to claim the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles and extend his perfect professional record to seven victories, all by knockout. The 26-year-old dropped the previously unbeaten Hedges twice with thudding left hooks to the body to hand the Essex fighter the first defeat of his 13-fight pro career.
Brown started slowly in front of a home crowd but was rewarded when he got behind his jab, swinging the momentum in the fifth with combinations punctuated by a right uppercut before delivering the decisive body attack in the sixth. "I don't care about all of the belts, it's for my family and my people," Brown said on DAZN. "I've had a childhood with them all but I had to go off-grid to train and they've always stayed behind me. And for Ross - my cousin, who I love dearly - I said to him I would go all the way and I will."
The fight was originally set for Altrincham but was moved to East Manchester's Co-op Live by Matchroom because of ticket demand, and a 5,000-strong crowd roared Brown's entrance before booing Hedges, with chants of 'Oh Patrick the Bomber' and 'Sale' ringing around the arena as Hedges took the early rounds with awkward style, sharp footwork and timely holding. Hedges had paid tribute to Manchester icon Ricky Hatton at the weigh-in after the first anniversary of his death on 14 September, and it was a Hatton-like rippling left hook to the body from Brown that sent Hedges to his knees. Hedges beat the count but was floored again by the same shot to the midsection and unable to rise. Brown, who made his ringwalk with his father, had said putting belts on his dad's shoulders was all that mattered and called winning the British title in his hometown "special."
The victory keeps Brown on the traditional British title route that Chris Billam-Smith and Lawrence Okolie used before winning world honours, a journey Brown said he wants to follow after Moses Itauma and Conor Benn both experienced losses when skipping the British title and heading straight for world level. Now British and Commonwealth champion, a logical next target is European title holder Viddal Riley, 29, who last fought in April with a unanimous points decision win over world title challenger Mateusz Masternak. Brown has spoken of headlining at Old Trafford, the home of his beloved Manchester United which has not hosted boxing since Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn's unification draw in 1993, a vision shared by Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn: "Pat Brown, world championship, Old Trafford. I see it." The win builds on Brown's stated British title and Old Trafford dream ahead of fight week.