By Elliot Raines: Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn was ecstatic about cruiserweight prospect Pat Brown’s second-round knockout victory over 37-year-old former WBA interim light heavyweight champion Felix Valera (24-9, 21 KOs) last Saturday night, calling him a “absolute diamond” in his show on the undercard at the Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, Florida.
(Credit: Zachariah Delgado Matchroom Boxing)
Eddie Hearn’s “Absolute Diamond” shines brightly
After a slow first round, 25-year-old Pat Brown (5-0, 5 KOs) dropped Valera three times in round two, prompting referee Alicia Collins to stop the fight at 1:29 of the round. After the third blow of a right uppercut from Brown that left Valera face down on the canvas, referee Collins didn’t bother to give a count. She blew it off at 1:29 of the round.
In the first minute of round two, Brown connected with a big left temple shot, causing Valera to flinch and go down in a delayed reaction. Until the count of eight, Valera’s eyes looked glazed, and one could tell that he wasn’t going to last much longer.
Brown’s raw power gets the job done
Moments later, Valera went down again, this time from a left hook. After the referee gave Valera a one-shot victory, she allowed the fight to continue. Instead of fighting smart by moving and tying up Brown, Valera went all out, throwing combinations, connecting with a couple, but then eating a right uppercut to the head that sent him face first to the canvas. This time the referee Collins stopped the fight. She had no choice.
Valera was so hurt that he had to be taken off the canvas by Brown and the referee. It was a smart move by Brown to help Valera up as he was in bad shape and couldn’t seem to get up without help.
“Manchester’s Rocky Marciano” was born
“In his fifth fight. To go through a guy like Valera, a former world champion (WBA interim light heavyweight belt holder from 2015 to 2016),” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn. DAZNpraising cruiserweight Pat Brown’s second-round knockout win over 37-year-old Felix Valera last Saturday night.
Valera looked so bad last night that it was hard to see how good Brown is because he had such a weak opponent in front of him. After watching Brown’s show, I watched a 30-something fighter destroy a hapless traveling companion who didn’t belong in the ring with him. It was hard for me to believe that Pat Brown is only 25, as he looks at least in his early 30s.
“We last saw him against Golden Boy prospect Tristan Kalkreuth, who was a very good fighter. He (Valera) gave him a very hard 10 rounds. Pat does the same thing every time from the first round. He comes out and measures and measures. For me, tonight, that’s my new name for him,’Manchester’s Rocky Marciano,’” Hearn said of 25-year-old Pat Brown.
Pat’s style of fighting is rather crude and Neanderthal-esque, similar to the late former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. With his lack of hand speed and mobility, Brown has no choice but to keep fighting the way he does because he’s never going to possess the blazing hand speed of Jai Opetaia or the mobility of some of the tougher cruiserweights.
He is what he is, a Neanderthal-like swagger and not a young one. Hearn needs to move Pat Brown as quickly as possible because he may not have a long shelf life in his career.
A quartz gem, not a diamond?
“This kid is going to go all the way. He’s such a big problem for every cruiserweight in the world. We got it absolute diamond on our hands in Pat Brown. Tonight he made his American debut in his fifth fight. They know we have something special. He’s 25,” Hearn said, bouncing on Brown.
I don’t see Brown as a “diamond”. He is more of a quartz gem than a diamond in my book. Brown will do well as long as Hearn paces him carefully.
Like heavyweight contender Moses Itauma, Pat Brown didn’t have much of an amateur career. He had 23 fights in the amateur ranks before turning pro. He didn’t look like an amateur to 24k gold like some fighters before he entertained the professional ranks.
Elliot Raines has been covering British and European boxing since 2010. Known for his sharp pen and low tolerance for hype, Raines analyzes the sport’s politics, promoters and paper champions with dry precision.
Last updated on 11/02/2025
