Pat Brown vs John Hedges Fight Preview: Unbeaten Cruiserweights Collide in Manchester

Pat Brown has raced to 6-0-0 and now finds himself facing an unbeaten domestic rival for the vacant British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles. It is a bold move this early in his professional career, but that is exactly why his meeting with John Hedges is so interesting.

Hedges brings the deeper professional record at 12-0-0 and will not be arriving at Manchester’s Co-op Live simply to play the opponent in Brown’s homecoming. The British Boxing Board of Control card takes place on Saturday, September 19 and will be shown live on DAZN.

Main Event: Pat Brown vs John Hedges

Pat Brown (6-0-0) meets John Hedges (12-0-0) in an unbeaten cruiserweight clash for the vacant British and Commonwealth titles.

Brown has the Manchester crowd behind him and the profile that came with representing Britain at the 2024 Olympics. Six professional fights is not much preparation for a contest of this importance, though. Whatever happens, we should learn considerably more about him here than we have from his career so far.

Hedges is the more experienced professional and already holds the English title. He has also openly accepted that he is entering hostile territory. That may actually suit him. The attention will be centred on Brown, while Hedges can concentrate on spoiling the homecoming and proving that twelve unbeaten professional fights count for more than the excitement surrounding his opponent.

It feels like a proper domestic gamble rather than a showcase dressed up as one. Brown will want to impose himself and give the Manchester crowd something to shout about, but Hedges has every reason to believe he can drag him into unfamiliar territory. Personally, I think the longer it remains competitive, the more fascinating it becomes.

Co-Feature: Shabaz Masoud vs Ckari Cani Mansilla

Shabaz Masoud (15-0-0) protects his unbeaten record against Ckari Cani Mansilla (19-4-0) at featherweight.

Masoud returns following his decision victory over Peter McGrail and will be expected to keep moving forward, but Mansilla is not an opponent who should be dismissed on record alone. The Argentine has already travelled to Britain and beaten an unbeaten boxer by knockout. That makes this a useful test rather than an appearance designed merely to keep Masoud busy.

Key Fights

Kieron Conway (23-4-1) faces Mark Jeffers (20-2-0) in a strong domestic super-middleweight contest. The pair were previously due to meet before the fight was called off, so it is good to see it back on the schedule. Conway owns the more seasoned record, while Jeffers gets the chance to make a sizeable statement against a recognised domestic rival.

There is also an intriguing lightweight meeting between Joe Howarth (15-2-0) and unbeaten Josh Holmes (18-0-0). Holmes puts his perfect record at risk against someone with winning experience, making this one of the easiest undercard fights to circle.

At middleweight, Tom Rafferty (17-0-0) meets Liam Walsh (9-1-2). Rafferty has built a substantial unbeaten record, but Walsh’s record suggests he is capable of making matters awkward if Rafferty is not switched on from the opening bell.

Undercard

Unbeaten super-welterweight Garan Croft (6-0-0) takes on the more experienced Mohammed Graich (12-6-1). Croft is still early in his career, and this should offer a clearer look at how he handles an opponent accustomed to the professional game.

Alfie Middlemiss (6-0-0) meets Gerard Hughes (6-1-1) at featherweight. With only one defeat between them, neither man can afford to treat this as a routine undercard outing.

Jack Power (8-0-0) continues his development at middleweight against Victor Ionascu (14-10-0), whose 24 professional contests give Power a decent experience gap to negotiate.

The card is completed by unbeaten bantamweight Emily Whitworth (4-0-0), who faces Beata Dudek (7-9-0). Dudek has considerably more professional rounds behind her, while Whitworth will be looking to take another step without surrendering her perfect record.

Closing

Brown against Hedges is the reason to tune in: two unbeaten cruiserweights, two vacant domestic belts and a Manchester crowd with an obvious favourite. The undercard has enough competitive matchmaking to ensure the main event is not carrying the night by itself.

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