Pat Brown, the Manchester boxer who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, makes his professional debut in Altrincham on Friday night – and warns his fans to ‘buckle up’.
He will campaign at cruiserweight and will headline his hometown arena, Planet Ice.
Originally he was scheduled to face Vladimir Reznicek, but a change at the weekend sees Federico Javier Grandone (7-4-2, 3 KOs) step-in for this tall task.
A change of opponent is no worry for the 25-year-old who is more than ready to step between the ropes and eager to impress his hometown fans.
“I can’t wait,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of build-up. Everyone who’s coming from the local area, they’ve been waiting to watch my pro debut since I first put on the gloves.
“As a young kid everyone knew me as a boxer.”
His dad, Mike Brown, has been a coach at the Sale West gym for 25 years so boxing has been an integral part of Pat’s life since he was a child.
As a Team GB athlete he wants to use his experience of travelling across the world to his advantage in the pro ranks.
Especially with the difference in the training regime, it seems being a professional will be more suited to his style.
Brown explained: “Under GB, I was training three times a day in Sheffield from Monday to Thursday, whereas now I’m only training twice a day spread across the week. It’s a lot easier, I can now go into each session a lot more energized.
“Obviously, it is a different style as well, it’s not so much an in-and-out fast pace, it’s a lot more sitting on your shots and slowing things down.”
The Mancunian fighter has linked up with Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis as he trains alongside the former world title challenger Jack Catterall.
And this gym is exactly the type of environment the young fighter thrives in.
He said: “It’s a credit to train alongside Jack, Connor (Tudsbury), Cameron (Vuong) and all these other prospects in the gym. We’re all bouncing off each other and we’ve all got the same goal in mind.
“Some fighters like to be on their own, whereas I like a bit of an atmosphere. I like feeding off of the energy and having a laugh in the gym because you’re seeing your stable mates more than you’re seeing your family.”
Another notable name at the gym is heavyweight Dave Allen, who Brown described as the ‘big brother he never had.’
This link-up with Moore has meant the ‘Bomber’ has had some hard sparring rounds with the ‘White Rhino’ who heaped praise on the debutant as being of the “highest quality”.
On his spars with the Doncaster fighter, Brown said: “He has shown me a few little tricks of the pro game and if there’s one man to learn from in the game of professional boxing, it is definitely Dave Allen.
“I think people from the outside underestimate Dave. But he’s a tough, strong man, technically very sound and people underestimate his boxing abilities.”
What is striking about Brown is the way he carries himself with a humble confidence and honesty.
But he’s never thought about if this attitude will help him going forward in the sport.
He’s just himself, and he wouldn’t change it for anyone.
“I think that’s why I’ve got a bit of a following because whether it’s an interview or they see me out and about, I’m always the same. I give everyone the time of day and I intend on keeping it that way,” he said.
“I am who I am, it is just what it says on the tin.”
In November, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing hyped up the announcement that they had signed the prospect with cinematic videos, a press tour, and a Q&A at the Hallé St Peter’s venue in Ancoats – all the eyeballs were on him.
With all the promotional backing, nerves surely had to play a factor.
Interestingly, Brown relishes in the nerves, for him it is a sign his body is “preparing for war” and shows his love for the sweet science.
He said: “Any fighter who says they don’t get nervous, it is all rubbish, everyone gets nervous.
“When I feel the nerves, it’s a good thing and the day I don’t feel nervous is the day I pack in boxing because then it clearly means nothing to me.”
He’s been billed as a future world champion, and if he were to achieve this feat he would become only the second Manc behind the great Carl Thompson to become a cruiserweight title holder.
To achieve this accolade would be an “honour” and a “dream come true”, especially because it will put his name in the history books.
When pushed for a prediction on how he foresees his start to life as a professional, he was not focused on a big finish.
“Everyone says they want a knockout – I’m really not that bothered,” Brown said.
“I’ve never looked for knockouts – if it goes the distance, I’m happy I’m getting the experience under my belt.
“I just want to put on a good, mature performance. I want to show everyone a little piece of what Pat Brown can bring to the professional game.”
A final message for fans taking the trip to Altrincham for the beginning of his pro journey was a simple one.
“Buckle up,” he smiled.
“It is going to be electric like those (Ricky) Hatton days.”
And for those who don’t know what to expect, Brown said: “My fighting style is aggressive.
“I’m there to get stuck in. So you’re going to be entertained whether it’s a six round ding-dong or an early knockout.”
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