A year on from the death of Ricky Hatton, his hometown has another winner to get behind
It really could have been scripted. A year after the death of their hero, Ricky Hatton, Manchester's boxing fans have received a gift in the form of the big-punching cruiserweight, Pat "The Bomber" Brown. He's just as down-to-earth as Ricky, and he throws a body shot that the old "Hitman" would have been proud of.
Local boy, Pat Brown is just as devoted to his fans as they are to him, but he refuses to use the word "fans". He prefers to call them "my people".
His arrival as the new hope came in a thrilling encounter with another proud and undefeated cruiser, the 6'6 southpaw, John Hedges from Essex. It's rare that we get to see two top prospects risking their undefeated records, so enormous credit must go to the pair of them, and to their promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn.
Hedges perhaps deserves even more credit for agreeing to take on Brown in his backyard at Manchester's Co-OP Live Arena.
Brown only had six fights to his name going into this contest, but he was a solid favourite, by virtue of his crushing power in both hands and his amateur pedigree, which included an appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Brown showed that the power that demolished lesser opposition was no less of a problem for a top operator like Hedges. The Essex man may have shaded the first couple of rounds with his decent jab, but there was no doubt as to who was doing the real damage. Almost every punch Brown landed had a visible effect.
Brown's trainer, Jamie Moore knew that the bulldozing style that he'd employed up to now would not be adequate against the rangy and clever Hedges. After a somewhat over-eager start, John adopted a more patient approach and started to find the target with his own jab. Despite a substantial disadvantage in height and reach, he even managed to outjab the jabber - and a southpaw jabber at that.
Brown was also mixing in shots to Hedge's elongated body. Every one of them looked painful.
In the end, it was hooks to the body that closed the show, leaving the brave young Hedges writhing in agony on the canvas in the sixth round.
The former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew said that Brown had the potential not just to win a world title, but to unify the division. It seems crazy to talk that way about a seven-fight prospect, but it's easy to get carried away after a performance like that.
Eddie Hearn said Brown would probably end up as a heavyweight. But Jamie Moore sought to bring everyone back down to earth by saying that Brown should be brought along very slowly. Everyone in British boxing is mindful of what happened to Moses Itauma a couple of weeks ago, after being thrown in with a top heavyweight in only his 14th fight.
Brown needs rounds to fully develop, but it will be hard finding opponents under world title level who are durable enough to provide them.
It'll be a long journey for Pat Brown, but one made easier by the assured support of some of the most passionate boxing fans in the world.
