Pat Brown to fight John Hedges for British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles at Co-op Live

Manchester-born cruiserweight Pat Brown will headline at Co-op Live on Saturday, fighting unbeaten John Hedges with the British and Commonwealth titles at stake. The 26-year-old says victory would enhance his rapidly growing reputation.

While attention in British boxing recently has focused on world title attempts by Conor Benn and Moses Itauma, Brown has been preparing for a domestic showdown that he believes will advance his career; he featured for Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has stopped all six of his professional opponents, four of those wins coming inside two rounds.

Asked about the importance of the British title, Brown told BBC Sport: "It's a journey, I want to look back on my career and have the memories. "It's a lovely belt and people say it's better than a world title because of the history and the way it looks. "As long as I can put it on my dad's shoulders and show it to my family, then that's all I care about. "I want to keep putting massive nights on for people and, whether that's boxing at world level or this level, it makes no odds to me."

Essex-born John Hedges, unbeaten in 12 fights, is widely viewed as the toughest test of Brown's short professional career to date. Brown said his father's advice keeps him grounded, recalling that "there's 'always someone harder around the corner'" and adding: "That's to keep me humble. You can't go thinking you're the bee's knees all the time." He also said: "I wouldn't be in this game if I didn't think I could fight anyone."

When Matchroom officially announced Brown's signing in 2024, he was greeted by around 300 fans, and later attracted some 2,000 people to sit in Planet Ice in Altrincham on a Friday night — a turnout that prompted the move to a larger venue for Saturday's fight. Brown reflected on Altrincham: "Altrincham will always have a place in my heart, especially with people moaning how cold it is in there," and added: "The only downfall are the changing rooms are quite small. I'm quite tall and the ceiling is a bit low, so it'll be nice to be in a big, open changing room."

Brown has acknowledged the wider landscape of British boxing and the search for a new national star as established names step back, and he struck a measured tone about public support. He said: "It's nice, but I never look at it and crave it. People will either like me or they won't. I'm never going to change, so if it comes and the country is getting behind me, that's brilliant." As he spoke to BBC Sport, the view of Old Trafford sat in the background.

Old Trafford has not staged a boxing match since 1993, when Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn's unification bout ended in a draw, though the article notes Katie Taylor's 5 September Croke Park send-off as an example of large stadium shows. Brown spoke about the stadium's significance to him: "Ever since I was a kid, I've been there," and said: "My house was only 15 minutes away from Old Trafford. When I watched on TV and United were playing at home, I used to feel warm inside watching it because I used to think 'that's my home'." He added: "If I could ever headline there, it would be a dream come true. That means more to me than belts. "If I could headline at Old Trafford and walk out with all the people there loving it, that would mean everything."

Saturday offers Brown another chance to build his profile on a major domestic stage; he faces John Hedges for the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles at Co-op Live.