Pat Brown captured the vacant British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles in a sixth-round victory over John Hedges on Saturday night at Co-op Live. The 26-year-old Olympian extended his unbeaten professional record to seven wins, with all seven victories coming by knockout. Brown added the Lonsdale Belt to his existing WBA International and IBF Intercontinental titles. The fight presented tactical challenges for Brown, as Hedges, a 6ft 6in southpaw, utilized defensive positioning and clinching to limit opportunities early. The tide shifted in the fifth round when Brown adjusted his approach, incorporating the jab and landing a clean right uppercut to the chin.
The decisive moment came in the sixth round when Brown shifted his attack to the body. A powerful hook to the ribs dropped Hedges to one knee, and a follow-up body shot shortly after sent him down again, this time unable to continue. Brown dedicated the emotional victory to Ricky Hatton, the British boxing legend who had connections to both fighters. Brown had trained at Hatton’s gym, while Hatton had previously worked with Hedges and guided him to an English title.
On the undercard, Shabaz Masoud defeated Ckari Mansilla 100-90 on all three scorecards to capture the WBA International and IBF Intercontinental featherweight titles. Mark Jeffers outpointed Kieron Conway in a British super-middleweight eliminator, and Cory O’Regan claimed the English lightweight championship by defeating Joe Howarth. In separate action, Isaac Cruz retained his WBC interim super-lightweight title for a second time, stopping Nestor Bravo in the sixth round in San Diego. The contest drew scrutiny over refereeing decisions, including a deduction for Bravo following a knockdown in the fourth round. Cruz has called out Ryan Garcia for a potential matchup, with Garcia expressing openness to a December bout.
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