Pat Brown captured the vacant British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles by knocking out John Hedges in the sixth round Saturday night at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Brown (7-0, 7 KOs) ended a competitive fight with two body-shot knockdowns. The 26-year-old Olympian dropped Hedges (12-1, 3 KOs) with a left hook to the midsection late in the sixth. Hedges beat referee Reece Carter’s count, but Brown immediately returned to the body.
A second left hook sent Hedges back to the canvas, where he remained on his knees for the full count. The official time was 2:36.
Hedges used his height, southpaw stance, and movement to keep the first five rounds close. Brown continued advancing, attacking the body and looking to turn the fight into a physical battle at short range. Carter warned Brown several times for leading with his head during the clinches.
Once Brown found the opening downstairs, Hedges had no answer. The Manchester crowd erupted as Brown completed his seventh knockout in as many professional fights. The vacant IBF Intercontinental title was also at stake.
The Matchroom Boxing card streamed live on DAZN.
Former IBO super bantamweight champion Shabaz Masoud (16-0, 4 KOs) defeated Ckari Cani Mansilla (19-5, 13 KOs) by unanimous decision in the chief support bout.
All three judges scored the ten-round featherweight fight 100-90 for Masoud, who collected the vacant IBF Intercontinental and WBA International titles.
Mansilla pressed forward throughout the contest, but he struggled to get past Masoud’s longer reach and accurate counterpunching. Masoud controlled the distance, made Mansilla miss and consistently answered the Argentine’s advances with cleaner shots.
Ron Kearney was the referee.
Mark Jeffers Defeats Kieron Conway
Mark Jeffers (21-2, 7 KOs) defeated Kieron Conway (23-5-1, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after ten competitive super middleweight rounds.
Jeffers swept the early portion of the fight before Conway increased his output and fought his way back into contention. The final round developed into a hard exchange, with Jeffers bleeding from a cut high on his forehead.
Two judges scored the fight 97-93, while the third had it 96-94 for Jeffers. Darren Sarginson refereed.
Corey O’Regan Wins English Lightweight Title
Corey O’Regan (16-1, 1 KO) claimed the vacant British Boxing Board of Control English lightweight title with a wide unanimous decision over Joe Howarth (15-3, 4 KOs).
O’Regan controlled the ten-round contest and won by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Bob Williams was the referee.
Other undercard Results
Featherweight Alfie Middlemiss (7-0, 1 KO) stopped Christopher Mondongo (10-4, 3 KOs) after four rounds. Mondongo had absorbed sustained punishment and did not continue into the fifth. Darren Sarginson refereed.
Super welterweight Garan Croft (7-0, 3 KOs) overwhelmed Mohammed Graich (12-7-1, 6 KOs) at 1:16 of the opening round. Croft hurt Graich with a body shot and followed with a barrage until referee John Latham intervened. It was the first stoppage loss of Graich’s career.
Middleweight Tom Rafferty (18-0, 8 KOs) stopped Liam Walsh (9-2-2, 4 KOs) at 1:08 of the second round. Walsh went down during the closing seconds of the first, although the knockdown looked more like the result of a push. Rafferty finished the fight in the second with an overhand right that dropped Walsh beneath the ropes. Latham immediately waved it off.
Middleweight Jack Power (9-0, 2 KOs) defeated Victor Ionascu (14-11, 10 KOs) over six rounds. Power had Ionascu badly hurt during the final round and received a 60-54 score from referee Sarginson.
In the opening bout, bantamweight Emily Whitworth (5-0) dominated Beata Dudek (7-10, 4 KOs) over six two-minute rounds. The shorter Whitworth continually pressed forward and rocked Dudek with a right hand in the third. Sarginson scored it 60-54.
David Diamante served as the ring announcer.
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