Pat Brown Stops John Hedges in Six to Claim Cruiserweight Honours

Pat Brown defeated John Hedges by sixth-round body-knockout Saturday night, taking the vacant British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles in front of his Manchester supporters.

Brown (7-0, 7 KOs) also retained his WBA International and IBF Intercontinental belts while overcoming the toughest test of his professional career.

Hedges (12-1, 3 KOs) made effective use of his 6ft 6in frame in the opening round, circling away from Brown’s right hand and forcing the shorter southpaw to pursue him. Brown began narrowing the distance in the second, targeting the body and turning the contest into a physical struggle whenever Hedges held.

Brown regained control at times in the third, landing hooks and straight lefts from range. However, a right hand briefly shook him, offering an early indication that Brown’s power would ultimately decide the fight.

Brown connected more frequently during the fourth and fifth rounds. His jab helped him get inside, where his straight right and uppercut landed with considerably more force than Hedges’ counters. Hedges tried to smother Brown’s attacks with clinches, but those holds only delayed the damage.

The finish came in round six. Brown dropped Hedges during a sustained assault and remained composed after the action resumed. He continued applying pressure until a crushing shot to the body sent Hedges down again and dislodged his mouthpiece. The referee immediately stopped the contest.

The knockout preserved Brown’s perfect stoppage rate, but his composure was the defining feature of the victory. He did not panic when Hedges created distance or become reckless after hurting him, instead methodically closing off the taller fighter’s escape routes.

“I know what I want to do. I want to stick him in with Jai Opetaia and watch him knock Opetaia spark out. That’s what I want, but that’s to come,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to DAZN Boxing after the fight about Brown. “He’s world ranked in every governing body. He’s going to be top 5 in the world. The future is down to Pat Brown. All he’s got to do is keep working like a dog every single day. If there was ever someone that fights for his people, it’s Pat Brown.”

Shabaz Masoud Takes All Ten Rounds

In the co-feature, Shabaz Masoud (16-0, 4 KOs) defeated Argentina’s Ckari Cani Mansilla (19-5, 13 KOs) by a lopsided 10-round unanimous decision at featherweight. All three judges scored the bout 100-90.

Masoud controlled Mansilla throughout but rarely left cruise control. The former super bantamweight consistently beat the Argentine veteran to the punch without applying the sustained pressure needed to force a stoppage.

The victory marked useful work in Masoud’s first fight at 126 pounds, although the lack of resistance made it difficult to assess how effectively his power has carried into the higher division. After wins over Liam Davies and Peter McGrail, a routine points victory over Mansilla added another belt but offered limited insight into Masoud’s readiness against the division’s leading fighters.

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