5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Fury v Joshua Announcement ‘Imminent'. Brown Punch Perfect

Episode Date: September 20, 2026

Steve Bunce is joined by Barry Jones in Manchester as they react to Pat Brown’s victory over John Hedges. Buncey hears from Brown, who claims the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles in just his seventh fight. Eddie Hearn gives the latest on Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua, with an announcement ‘imminent’ for the highly anticipated heavyweight battle to take place in the UK in December. Plus, Darren Barker speaks about his remarkable fundraising challenge.

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in-depth analysis and features. Visit BBC.com forward slash subscribe to find out more. This is Five Live Boxing. On the outskirts

of Manchester, a new Cancunian boxing hero was bald. It might sound cliched. It might sound grand, but it's the truth. It was Pat Brown winning the British Cruiserweight title. I'm Steve Bunce, and this is Five Live Boxing. So as they dismantle the co-op live, people in yellow vests, people in blue hats, people in purple hats, people in pink hats, people all over the place.

Taking down stuff, you're going to hear a lot of that as we knock this pod out. And with Barry Jones, Barry, we've been ringside to watch. Pat Brown in his seventh fight. Drop John Hedges twice, with perfectly placed little left upper cuts underneath the right elbow in the whatever it was, the sixth round. Fantastic clean finish.

But I thought in the first couple of rounds, I think Pat realised how big the occasion was. 5,000 people for basically a novice in a British title fight. That's not bad going. It's not bad going at all. It's a big ass, isn't it? I know he sells tickets, but I mean, still, early in his career, to get, I have so many more come, it's always a risk with.

He's gone from that 2,000 in Ortingham up to suddenly five. Okay, maybe not all 5,000 are here for him, but, you know, we're allowed to say that. And it was very loud as well. It really was. And he just sells himself so well, because in an era where people are selling themselves by saying outlandish things, I find you very pragmatic with his approach. And he talks about how much it means and how serious. is, so I say I make apologies for all the noise going on.

We are going to talk about Pat Brown a bit more, and we're also going to hear from Pat Brown, so I've grabbed hold of him in the ring, and also grabbed hold of Eddie Hearn after the fire. But I got to Manchester early today. Well, actually not that early, so it took us about six hours to get up from West London, didn't it, to be honest, if you're in the car.

But when I eventually did get here, I had to go and have a chat with Eddie, talk about this ongoing situation. You know, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, here's Eddie Hearn with the absolute latest. And you know what, I think it's really good news. As I've said all along in this process, we've always been there. Yeah.

I mean, we've signed a contract and we just await the news. And look, what's happened over the last couple of weeks is basically, myself and Anthony have led a two-man battle against the world in this fight, the world involved with this fight, to try and allow it to stay in the UK as per our contract. We were made an offer, multiple offers, to do the fight in New York, and it came down to a decision from Anthony,

guided by myself, but ultimately he's the boss and he's going to make the final decision, and he decided that he didn't want to negotiate for a fight in America. He wanted to bring the fight to the UK, he wanted to stand by his contract and everything that he'd agreed,

and I think he felt a massive swirl of support from people and from fight fans in this country that have supported him for years and years. And people in America. Yeah, and I don't think he wanted to let him down. And, you know, I see a... a few people trying to spin, you know, what's happened. But the reality is just that.

It was literally a two-man team against the world. And I think, I think we've won. But until the fight is announced, we'll never truly know. But as I understand it, that could be imminent, but we'll see. And that could be, once it's announced, that could be that February 11th date in Carda. So, excuse me, not February 11th. Yeah, no, December 11th in Carter, Friday night.

I believe there's multiple dates. That's one of the one. Yeah, one of the days, yeah. When did AJ decide that we weren't going to negotiate for it? I'm using the role. I guess it was around 10 days ago. I mean, to be honest, these people are our partners. So if they weren't, if they were just people that we weren't particularly fond of,

we would have said no from the start. But we wanted to listen and we wanted to try and understand why. Why should we take the biggest fight in the history of our sport in this country to America? when even America doesn't seem that bothered about it. You know, you've got the whole country here that have invested in both fighters, the storyline, the moment. And if you're going to keep British boxing buzzing, you have to have fights like this.

And it's like, you know, we just, we listened and we listened, and we went back and forward and we, you know, we, but we were always reluctant in even really conversing in any changes about the contract. And, you know, it came to the end where there was a little bit of bad faith from some people trying to come around the band. and offering more money. And the truth is he turned down a lot of money to do the fight in the UK.

And, you know, I mean, I know that sometimes we get accused of being money hungry, but it cost him money. It cost me money as well because we're a team. But it wasn't really just about that. You know, it was about doing what he believed was right and doing what was in the contract, as I've said time and time again. Did the Crock Park experience have any influence, you think, on the people that were watching?

Because that was one of the things you said to me on the night. And you literally held your hands up. moving around and saying, this is why that fight's got to be in Britain. You know, the main thing was the sort of the online noise, I think. Which was massive. Yeah, and like, I see it in people messaging me and he saw

it as well, because he's online and he reads. And it's like, please bring this fight, you know, keep, and I think as well, you know, there is a little bit of a psychological mind game going on between Fury and AJ. And I think this is a, no, we're not just going to do what you say.

And we're not going to do what you know all these people now seem to be ganging up on doing the fight in America and we're just not going to play ball and allow you to dictate where we're going when we signed a contract for the fight to take place in the UK so there were so many different things but the main one being

this is where he wants to fight like he just he feels comfortable fighting here he wants to fight here he wants to give this fight to the people and that's what he's done what actually happened to make everybody switch was it just that noise online was it just a constant and the stance that I.J. Chuck, especially that tough stance. It wasn't really a switch.

It was never a switch because we never really agreed or wanted to go to America. We just had the conversation out of respect. Absolutely. Stay your partners. Yeah, why do you want to go to America? Well, Netflix won it, you know, they won the late at times on blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, guys, like, and I do think as well that Turkey Ella Shake would have seen Croke Park and would have also seen the noise about how big this fight is.

And I think deep down he knows this fight should be here. That's why it was in the contract in the first place. And I think the right decision has been made and will be made, hopefully, when this announcement comes. Because it did look for a moment like Tyson had set up camp in Miami. And that's what it seemed to me. Of course, one of the... He was at the UFC event. He was with Donald Trump.

It was with Dana White. You know, they helped him get in the country. So there's a lot of that as well. It's like, well, you've already kind of done your deal, haven't you? Well, no, mate. We're not playing to your tune. The landlord says we'll see you in the UK. And now, now Tyson, because he's quick to jump on things, has trying to switch the narrative round and said, I'm coming back. I'm giving you what you want. I mean, you've got to love to. I know. I heard Frank Warren today say, you know,

this fight's coming to UK because Tyson Fury decided to come to the UK because he didn't have to. You know, no, it was in AJ's contract. He has to fight in the UK. So look, you can spin it. I think people are bright enough. to see what's happened over the last couple of weeks and know that it has, listen, and we've fallen out with people in the process, but we've done what we think is right. Falling out with partners?

Or falling out with people that you've worked with? Fallen out and falling in like we do in boxing. Look, you'll always fall in and out. But ultimately, you've got to do what you think is right and you've got to stand by your contracts and what you believe in. And ultimately, I've got to listen to my client. You know, and in every situation,

Anthony will say the same thing to me, has done for over 10 years. What do you think? you do what you think you know and it's like no no no mate this is too big this is the biggest one of your career you've got to tell me you want my advice I want you to do it in the UK

but you're leaving money on the table right you know but from a legacy standpoint you go out and you chin this guy in the UK and you're the one that basically fought to bring this fight to the UK you're a national icon I mean you are anyway if you're not you should be

but like after this is no question it was just like the money wasn't really you know, and then they came back with more money and it was like you've got an hour to decide. So had they agreed to all of the points in your addendum within reason or not agree or rejected? Kind of. We didn't really complete that part.

It was more like, look, you know, they're saying where if we pay you this and if we do this and if we do this, then we had the Dana White issue and TKO and it just become a mess. And it's like, we don't like this. We've already signed. We don't want to renegotiate. We spent 10 years negotiating this fight.

We signed the contract. Now you're asking us to renegotiate the contract. This is so, no, enough's enough. Stick to the contract. Do you think there was a point over the last, say, six weeks, or there's lots of points, where people underestimated AJ's absolute stance, his insistence that he wanted to hear?

Do you think that people just assumed that was AJ saying, give me another X, Y, or Z? People assume in life that you can buy anything. Yeah. Right? And money solves every problem. Money will get people to change their mind. Don't get me wrong, 95% of the time, that is the case.

But not in the case of Anthony Joshua. And when they started to put pressure on, offering him more money but telling they've got an hour to decide, someone like AJ turns around and says, see you, mate, because I've already made my decision, and I'll see you in the UK. Not everybody can be bought, right? And listen, I'm someone that will always look for a deal

and loves a deal. But even me, you know, in this situation, it's like, I don't, and again, going back to, he's losing money, We're losing money by doing it in the UK. But I want to beat it. I haven't worked all my career to get the biggest moment and the biggest fight in my career

and to be taken to America. Get on a play for it. Those fight fans are the same people that for 10 years have stopped me in petrol stations and at train stations and restaurants have gone, when are we going to get AJ Fury, mate? And I always felt to myself, do you know what, if I don't deliver this fight,

I'll always regret it and it'll always be the one that slipped away. Now we've got it and we're going to take it out of this country Like I'm going to get crucified Either way So that would be a disaster Yeah and look You know

You don't always The pat on the back is always nice But it is genuinely nice When the public are saying Thanks thanks for standing your ground Thanks for fighting our corner And thanks for bringing it there And the truth is

And they know the truth AJ bought the fight to the UK And you can bluff And you can run a narrative All you like like you always do But you can't lie about it this one mate you were on the plane you were in Miami you were ready you all your

flights were booked to MSG mate don't worry about that but as I said the main man said no British fight fans win and you will do as you are told and we will stand by our contract and when you say it the the announcement could be imminent we know from the way Turkey Alashakes acted in the past as you

and I are talking you could release it on social media you know that so but is there I mean this we're recording this pod on Saturday night just before Pat Brown steps in the ring at the car The Fabulous Carb Live. And this will go out on the Sunday. And is there a chance that we will have a date for a formal announcement?

Or is it really in the hands of Turkey? I thought it was going to get announced this week. Just gone. And I think it's, I would say it's imminent. But anything can happen. I mean, you will see a press conference not this week, but I believe the week after. And it'll be the first time those two have ever come head to head and face to face. And it'll be thrilling, everything we've always dreamed of.

But I can't tell you, you are quite right. Turkey out of shape could announce tonight. Could have done it in the last two minutes? Matty Lawless is standing over there. Mattie might have a sign for us. Mattie might have information saying it's just been announced. Ed, is there any danger? Final question, because it's been a very upbeat interview talking about this fight, which is rare,

because we've done about 60 AD so far. Could it fall out of bed now? Could it collapse now? No, I mean, not from our side. Okay. Because we've signed a contract and, you know, I mean, look, I don't know, Tyson-Fury could put out of the fight. I don't know, but I don't see it. You know, look, he's making a lot of money.

Yes. I think they're all having a little bit of the tail between the legs, and they'll try and spin it, like I said, and they'll try and, you know, Fury will probably come out with an Instagram and start ranting and raving, going, oh, UK. Whilst he's running. Whilst he's running. I did it, UK.

I did it. I bought the fight back here. But listen, it is what it is. We know the truth, and we know what we had to do, what we had to go through to make sure this fight happened in the UK. And just final question. Sorry, and I said final question last time, where will Anthony train and who will he train with?

If you don't want to tell me where, who's actually going to be chief? The truth is, I'm not sure where camp will be set up, but you know, you've seen him go back and train with Ben Davison. And by the way, people don't realize. Ben Davison was never out of the team. Ben Davidson was always involved, even with the Uc Fides. A.J. would speak to him, he would lean on him, he would talk to him about taxes.

Look, this is also a guy in Ben Davidson that knows Tyson Fury inside out. is I think strategically one of the best trainers in the game. He's gathering experience as he goes. He's still a young trainer and people like to jump on him. He holds his hands up. But by the way, that's how you learn. And I don't think he's got as much wrong that people say. So, you know, there's a strong chance he's going to be a big part of the team.

And training camp is being set up at the moment and we'll commence. Well, it's already commenced, really. But in terms of the actual camp and the location of that will be in the next week. I'm a bit nostalgic really, Ed, because it means that this would be the last. time I come to you with that question, when's it going to happen? I feel a bit nostalgic, and it's not that time of year. It should be December. I can't bloody wait.

Barry, it was in 2016 when Charles Martin had lost his world title, that in the ring, Anthony Joshua that night of the O2 talked about fighting Tyson Fury. So that was over 10 years ago. We've had full starts. We've been close. I think this is happening. And also, it's happening in Cardiff, where thankfully, as you said on the pod six weeks ago, if you work for us, we won't have to pay for your hotel

because, quote unquote, I'll stay with my family, said Barry Jones. Well, I will. I know, my fee will be a little bit more than usual because it's such a mega fight, but apart from that, I'm all in, and I'm there? You're going to nick the money back that way? My dad's, he's pumping up the airbed as we speak. I mean, let's hope so, please, let's hope so. I mean, see, boxing fans, people who are really embedding the boxing, almost, they care, but they don't care about this fight.

That's the truth of it, but this fight. happening but it's still and always will be a huge fight because the average sports fan don't really really know or care that Tyson Fulies not the Tyson Fulay once was anti-Joshar certainly is not the anti-Joshar he once was so it's still a huge fight because it transcends boxing it transcends sports I would argue and that's why it needs to go in a stadium it will do massive numbers wherever it goes where I mean the fact if we can get in the UK for UK sports fans and boxing fans and Eddie was brilliant on that Eddie was brilliant on that.

From day one. From day one. He's taking a stance. Yeah. I know Tyson's trying to make it all about him now saying I'm coming back to salvage the fight. But I think we all know, to paraphrase what Eddie said there. Yeah. I very rarely seen the place of promoters, but you've got to give him his credit.

He's been shouting out for him. He's been championing. In fact that it would be a disgrace if it's not in the UK for UK boxing fans. I mean, so it's there. I mean, I don't sound super excited because until they ring war, I'm still not sure it's going to happen. Can we've been here before? Not just with big fights, but with this fight,

too many times. You can't keep crying wolf forever and expect us to generally believe it. I mean, but let's hope so, please. Otherwise, I mean, they're on their last legs now. Certainly, Anthony Joshua, in my opinion. So any longer, and they won't have the same appeal, if any appeal.

I wonder when, and I'm looking forward to talking to them, I wonder just how honest they are about where they are at this point in their careers. might be both at the same point in whatever. And that's the beautiful thing. But I wonder if they'll, I wonder if they'll be honest enough to sort of acknowledge that.

Because it happens to all of us, you know? Yeah, well, I think, up until the last Joshua fight, I thought they were sort of like declining, sort of the same rate. You think it's changed? I think it's changed dramatically, yeah. And that was the Pranga fight?

Yeah, the Prangue fight with Anthony Joshua. You're really concerned about the way it looked? The way, yeah. I mean, I have a theory. People say about boxes, their chin, you know, they can't. take a punch anymore and my my theory is always is the vision goes and I say this because it's your peripheral vision yeah yeah I just to say as Barry said

that I was running my arm down the left side of his head and he was running his arm down the right side of his head yeah just because we both knew what you were gonna say I mean and you don't see you don't see the punch too late you don't see it at all quite often you know you can so it so it's a punch that in normal times as you've watched it that fraction of a second you you're ready for it and you're saying the punch the punch too you don't see them as I knock you out and that's not always true but that's quite often the case you don't see it and they knock you on your back side you

don't know where the way it's come from because it's called a free shot pretty much and when your vision starts to go when you get a bit old wear and tear with boxing of course I don't mean your vision you can't read them like that your vision for reacting with punches coming your way and especially with hooks in boxing you don't see them until they're too late you can't brace yourself you can't make a miss you can't brace yourself for impact which is you know you train your neck muscles to brace for take punches when you can't see him and relax, yeah, so that's

my theory, that might not be true. And I think Joshua's peripheral vision is much worse than Tyson Furies. I mean, Tyson has declined, but I still made them my favourite in the fight when it was first announced years ago, less than a favourite when it was announced again, more than a favourite when it was announced on the third time,

and this time I thought they were as closer than ever to being equal, until the Prenger fight, where I make Joshua know, Furi know a bigger favorite again, unfortunately. Doesn't mean he's going to win the fight. It just means, you know, doesn't mean the fight shouldn't happen because it should happen.

But you just fancy him a little more. Well, maybe the two fighters of our generation that have, in their own different ways, unique and beautiful ways, have kept British boxing afloat. Absolutely. I mean. And Global Heavyways, maybe.

You know, let's expand it slightly. Yeah, and Tyson, anti-Joshio made stadium fights normal. Yes. And then Tyson Fury, who went along with that and did some big numbers himself. Tyson Fury went over to America and

dominated there and was selling out the places there and making an interest there which Joshua didn't quite do so they've all had their own unique stamp and wall boxing I would say it is ridiculous 1966 Muhammad Ali against Henry Cooper at Highbury

about 30 or000 people talk about it more but it's about 34,000 and then you jump all the way to 1986 at Wembley with Frank Bruno against Tim Witherspoon. Oh, yeah, yes. And then you have to go all the way to 1993 when an outdoor post-war record is set

on the build at U-Box, which I was stunned to think about. I didn't really put one and one together. So you're 42,000 at a theater of dreams, sometimes quote as being 43,000, Eubank and Ben. Was that more than before with Lewis and Bruno? Oh, yeah, there's only about 20,000 there was only something like

23,000, 24,000 for a Bruno, or 30,000, well, for Bruno against Rutherstead. We all just assumed there was 90,000, 80,000. So we go from

1966, it's a short, it's a short, long history. So we're going to get that. I would say, though, more people could watch the tone that on BBC. And they're probably going to be BBC, but they could,

couldn't they? They could. You get millions watching on a song. And that's what it was. So that's it, I think we might be, we might be finished with the will it,

won't it happen. We might have put, we might have drawn a line under it tonight. We might have. So let's move on to what we witnessed here with Pat Brown. We mentioned it at the top.

Pat Brown won the British title at his seventh fight. He grew in a record set by T.J. A million, trillion years ago. He's now the British Cruiserweight champion. Knocked out John Hedges with a beautiful left hook underneath the right elbow, dropped him twice, finished him in the sixth round. He's now the champion.

And he was very emotional. And I thought his ring entry was intense, Barry, absolutely intense. The look on his face. It meant a lot to him. It was because, you know, that's a massive crow for in the box. and they've all come for him. And they were loud, they were vocal, the music was fantastic.

Luther Vandross. Who comes into Luther Vandross? I mean, you know. What a smart mover? If someone comes to Luther Vandross, you say, what sort of fighters is he? You're thinking, or you say you better be out of fight?

No, but you're thinking he's going to be a south boss, slick mover, dancer, and he's not. He's a destroying machine, is it. But you know what? In being a destroying machine is one thing, what won him the fight in the end was him relaxing and boxing. in the end.

Once he stopped, because he admitted to me, he was, you know, you're going to hear it in a moment, but he's trying to throw two minutes off. Yeah. Anyway,

I climbed up in the ring afterwards, which was fantastic and spoke to Pat Brown. Also, then at the end, there's a little bit more Eddie Hearn because I wasn't going to interview Eddie Hearn again, but I think the finish was so clinical

and the crowd that, not the fans, the people, as Pat Brown called them, were so good. Here I am in the ring with Pat Brown at the end of the fight, a fight where he became the British Cruze Oil Champion.

It wasn't personal with John, but it was a personal fight to me. I needed to do this to my people and it was an emotional one. My dad's the first time he's been in the changing rooms with me, so I can't be getting beat with my dad's in there with me like, no way. Now you said to me a couple of weeks ago you knew it was going to be important and you knew how serious it was going to be. Once you're settled down, because you're a bit eager in the first couple of rounds, weren't you? I think that's fair to say.

Yeah, I knew he would be as sharp as possible at the start. And then when I got me timing with him and I knew his combos and his motion, I got in my own flow state then, and I knew that would happen at some point in the fight. It's a long time, 12 rounds, isn't it? I mean, you walked out tonight in front of 5,000. As you say, people, not fans. You give that tribute to Ricky. I was around in those days, and there was a Ricky Philstone.

I'm not just saying that. There really was tonight. That means everything to me, and Caddy's told me that before when we're at the MEN, and it touches me out very daily. And if I could just be a 1% of that man, I'll be over the moon. Once you did measure him, the finishing shots were vicious, nasty, and again, I'm going to go back. They were Ricky shots, weren't they? Well, I didn't want to let him know straight away because people get accustomed to your power at the start,

and I knew later down the line he's going to feel him when he starts getting tired of. I knew that was the shot. And what was that like? They filmed your entire walk. When you watch it, you're going to be amazed from when you left a dresser. It's a long old walk, about 200 metres. What was that like? And how was it building for you?

Could you sort of sense it? Yeah, I had my dad behind me and all these people here. I knew it was going to be the greatest ring walk of my career so far and you can't be it a good long ring walk. Usually I'm quite against that, just what I get in the ring. But this time I really wanted to take in the audience and yeah, what a crowd tonight. I remember talking to you and you've said this before.

You've been under pressure since your turn pro. I mean, you know, you had that big night when you announced you were turning pro. Every fight you're under pressure. You're thriving off the pressure, but it's going to get... I suppose the wrong word is worse, but it is going to get worse. going to get more, it's going to get more intense? It definitely is, yeah. I always put the pressure on my shoulders,

and it's only going to get bigger. But what I say is, if you want to be a world champion and you want to get to the top, you need to handle as much pressure as possible. And I don't think there's one prospector fighter who's had such a full-on start of the pro career like I have, with what I've experienced. And one other thing, final thing, everybody had a Ricky

Hat and story. They'd all met him. Now, you've got 5,000 in the night. That's 5,000 pints. That's 5,000 handshakes. You're going to be working hard the next few days. Definitely, but do you know what? I love it.

And whenever I war, anyone who wants a photo, anyone wants to chat, I love speaking to him because they are who make me. So it's Pat Brown, Olympian, seven flights in, man of the people, but more than that, British Cruiserweight champion.

Yeah, it's got a nice ring to it, and it's also you were the man at the start with the evening event, and I'll never forget that, and what a man to do with. We've got a long journey ahead of us, some, thanks so much. Thanks so much for your time.

That's brilliant, thanks, Pat. Ed, I was going to leave you because obviously I spoke to you earlier on, but that finish was absolutely punch-perfect. Yeah, and you know what? I hate having two guys in the fight, to be honest with you, because I like to jump up and scream, but I was really proud of what John Hedges did tonight at 24 years of age to come into the Lions Den.

It really was the Lions Den. And, you know, that's why we gave him a lot of the privileges of being the champion because I didn't want to feel like he was being set up to come to Pat Brown's home. He came in last and was announced on at the Home Corner as well. Yeah, I noticed that. And also, the board ordered it as Hedges against Brown. So, you know, and he's coming to Manchester. So, and I thought he boxed really well.

And what impressed me with Pat Brown is actually, probably after having lost the first two rounds, just to adapt and start out boxing John Hedges. Yeah, and picking him apart. And obviously the bodywork at the end was absolutely brutal. John said after, he said, I've never been it like it. And it pat hits so hard. He is unquestionably the biggest puncher in a grueserweight division.

He's had seven fights. So it's hard to, I'll say it's hard. It's never hard to get too excited, but really, you know, these guys that are rocking around in the prime in the Cruiserweight Division have had 30 fights. So, you know, he's going to be a real, real problem for these guys. You know, it does feel like, it does feel a bit special and a bit different. You know what I mean by that?

It does feel like a journey, doesn't it? Because he's a man of the people and he's a man of the city. I know he lives from sale and he knows everybody in Manchester. He's got this big following that's been with him from the professional debut. Like I said, in here tonight, rather than going to the Altring of Meisterink, which we've done before, which is 2000 and we sell it out in the first day.

We do 5,000 in here. Next time it's 8, then it's 10, and then we start talking about bringing world championship nights back to Manchester. And that's what Ricky did. He moved from the velodrome across the road, 1800. It went 3,000, 6,000, 8,000. That's the way it works.

To be doing 5,000 in your 7th fight as a headline back, you know? And he's, like I say, he's a good, good person. Hardworking, exciting fighter. Really exciting fighter. Your sales order says one thing. Your inventory says another. Your spreadsheet says, good luck.

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Plus, there's all the other great. benefits you get with a BBC subscription. From live streaming the BBC news channel and acclaimed documentaries to in-depth analysis and features, visit BBC.com forward slash subscribe to find out more. You could still hear the emotion in his voice there, Barry. Yeah. You know, because it meant that much to him. Well, you found another star yet, haven't you?

I mean, for me, I think, you know, Pat Brown sells tickets. He's TV gold because he's got power. I mean, he has got power. I've got to most similar thing. He has got power, but when he stopped trying to look for the knockout punch, it came. People say it all the time. When he's loading up, you miss.

Yeah, pushing your punch a bit. But, I mean, there's body shots are fantastic. They just, they snapped him in half, John Hedges, who was tremendous, I thought it was box really well. I thought the first two rounds box perfectly. I thought Pat might have walked onto a big South Pole left. But even John Hedges was under pressure. He was firing him back.

He was brave, and he wasn't. He wasn't intimidated by the crowd or by Pat Brown's reputation. Yeah, that was good. Nothing at all. And he knew he was the B-side here. He knew he was all about Pat Brown's development. And he came to win, he had a really good go. And I think he's got a bright future.

But Pat Brown's future looks like we found another star here. He can sell tickets. That's going to grow. Off the back of that crowd, people were going to go over some wicked atmosphere. And what a result it was. And what a good fight it was. Well, as I said to Pat, when I was talking to him, the way Ricky went, Ricky went from the Vellonel

across there with loads of other Mancunians on the bill doing 2000 and 1900 and they took a big jump to the MEN and it was three and four thousand five thousand then it was six thousand then it was ten thousand it didn't go yeah didn't go Vela Dron 19,000 and so that same path can be worn I thought it was a nice touch tonight Pat mentioning Ricky obviously Ricky would have been here as he said and also it didn't have a little and a bit of that vibe about it tonight and I can think about this this this arena here, they can taper it to a different level across.

And doesn't it look good when they tape it? With other arenas, you just, it is what it is. It looks like 16,000 empty seats. And you can feel it as well. But here, they can just make it look like it's just meant for 5,000, meant for 7,000, meant for 20,000. They can make it look to what it looks like. And that makes it such a great venue to box at,

maybe the best venue to box at. But he'll fill it quickly. And the generation, whenever was trying to sell themselves by saying outlandishly stupid things, he's pragmatic with his approach, he's honest with his approach, he's super confident with it as well, and he's not the slickest of boxers, and he never will be,

but he takes a good shot, he has power, and when he relaxes, he can box, so, you know, I think, whether he's a world champion in a wait there, time will tell. But let me tell you one thing.

Ricky Hatton, never won all his fights comfortable. No. On the way up. No, no, no. Remember the finish is the body, just the body, but before he got there, John Paxton was a war, absolutely, yeah.

He had to go through what, but thus endeared into the crowd, and he could fight to him, so win. And that's what made him become the fighter. And Pat's got that to come. Now, Barry, listen, we can't leave here tonight without just having a little word about Darren Barker. Now, I caught up with Darren to find out exactly what he's been on, that mission, that trip he's been on. Now, it seems like several years ago that Darren Barker went with a bike and a pair of

swimming trunks up to Edinburgh to just make his work. way casually from Edinburgh to North Africa. Now, all of us in the boxing business, Barry Jones was there and the rest of us that worked with Darren, week in, week out. We just knew it was happening, but it didn't dawn on us until it started to happen, that he was going to be cycling, then swimming across the channel, then swimming from Gibral to into North Africa. And it really started to dawn on us after about a week.

And with Darren now, he's back. First of all, Darren, just tell me what it was like. And just ridiculous feat of endurance. Yeah, it was kind of a long time coming for me, really, although I only come up with the idea, sort of early Feb. And it was your idea. He wasn't part of a group of 500 people. I wanted to do something to Warner, Ricky Atten,

because I'd spoke to him the week that he passed away, and I just desperately wanted to do something for him, and it made me understand what a terrible illness is. And I wanted to try my best to spread as much awareness. So it was kind of a really put together quickly challenge. And I was nervous because I weren't, it was so alien to me, Steve. I'm not a cyclist, I'm not a swimmer. But one thing I am is very determined.

And I thought, do you know what? Whatever I choose to do, I'll get it done. And, you know, there was lots of twists and turns. Things changed. And the challenge kind of, you know, It changed ever so slightly. I was supposed to swim the English Channel from Dover to Calais with three of us. What happens is you get a week's tired, what they call, and the weather for my tired was no good.

Just explain it, because people think you just jump in the water and 20 miles later in France. Doesn't work now, doesn't it? No, so you have a boat with a pilot. He's the captain of the boat, and he assists you, along with an adjudicator to make sure it's all done properly. And the pilot has the last say on the weather conditions. And if the weather's no good, you're not doing it. Simple as that, you lose your deposit, end of it. I was told on the day that I might get out on the first day on my tide.

You then text me at about 6 o'clock in the evening and said, the whole week is out, you're not going to be out to swim. So me and the two others said, look, do you know what? Let's still swim the distance along the Dover shoreline. It was brutal. We were there all day long. We did the distance. What is the distance?

Yeah, yeah. Twenty-odd miles point to point. So we did the distance. It was, I would say probably the hardest day. But you're not a swimmer down, aren't? I'm not swimming. This is the thing I said to you like three months ago. I only got a bike in April.

And three and a half, four weeks of me having the bike. It was in Cyprus because I couldn't get the wheel off and get it home. Long story. Right. But I couldn't fix it. Yeah. So it was epic, Steve. It really was, you know.

I'm buzzing. So you went through France. You went through Spain down to Gibraltar. Then there was another water problem, wasn't it? It was. So, again, I'll try and condense this as quick as I can. You don't have to. People wouldn't be listening to this and go, hold on a minute.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You was in Edinburgh a minute ago. Now he's in Gibraltar. Right, so I get all the way through the UK, through France, through Spain. And I get to Gibraltar. A few days before I got to Gibraltar, the ACNE, who's the governing body that assists you from Gibraltar to Morocco, the Swim, said, look, we're struggling to get you in.

We tried everything. So I had a backup plan. The backup plan was we were supported by the Royal Navy and a sailing club, Pretty Sailing. And the Royal Navy were going to assist me to the edge of British Territory waters. Because you were a veteran sailor? Because they had a boat.

And so I would swim next to the boat all the way to British waters. Then they would hand over to Pretty Sailing who would then support me. So I would be swimming all the way to Morocco. The ANC-E-G, I think that's it, rang me and said, look, we've heard about this challenge

and we've heard you're going to go down another route. Please don't do it because it could put our whole operation up in jeopardy. And I thought to myself, look, I'm doing this for charity. If there's other people in the future that are doing this for charity and I am ruined their whole operation, I can't do it. I'm not selfish. So the Sailing Club, pretty sailing, had a backup plan and the backup plan. And this, by the way, this was all five days before I got to Gibraltar.

They rang me and said, look, we've got one of our coaches here, Matthew, unbelievable man who's desperate to try and teach someone how to sail a yacht in a day. This is ridiculous. Right? And then you'll say, you'll learn on the Sunday, sal on the Monday. So I thought, do you know what, why not? How hard could it be? How hard could be?

Not really. I said to them, are you sure you think I can do this? He went, look, we'll find out. So basically, we went out on the Sunday, got a little seasick, but we've done the whole day of me learning how to sell this shot, how to put up the sails, the head's out, the main sail. how to park the boat all in a day. Wow.

And what we did on the Monday was I swam from, I forget the name of the bay now, but it's the bay where Lord Nelson was taken back to after the Battle of Trafalgar. I swam from there to the boat, and the boat was moving, by the way, because there was no one on it. So I'm trying to catch this boat,

and I'm swimming to it. No. Anyway, I get on the boat, and then I have to get out of Gibral waters. So I have to get past the rock of Gibraltar. Then I put the sows up. So the main sail goes up, the head sower goes up. I'm all on me only.

All on my own. All on my own. So I've got a boat next to me. 17 foot, 12 foot, 18 foot, 20 foot. 37 foot, I think it was. 37 foot yacht. Yeah, all sleeping downstairs, blah, blah, blah. And I've got a boat next to me.

So they're shouting. Remember, pull this, pull that, do this, do that. And I got the sales up and that was it. So you can see Souter in the distance. So I'm aiming for a suit. Stay just to the left of that rock, bang. Three hours we get there. Then I've got a part of the boat.

Then I've got a part of the boat. That's part of the mission? Yeah, so I've got to do it. Because you won't allow anyone to help you, will you? Because that kind of would tarnish it. Yeah, yeah. So there was a couple of times, just going back to the cycle

where it was so difficult in the Pyrenees, I had to walk for about 20 minutes. The bike did not leave my side. I made, me and that bike down every single inch of that journey. So anyway, it gets to a suitor and I managed to part the boat, honestly, Steve, you'd have seen me. You didn't thought I was a veteran. I was like, Uncle Albert, I was out of only fours and horses.

Who, of course, may never have been a sailor. It's an unfortunate choice of sailor, And then I get there, and then the last part of the challenge was to cycle two and a half miles to Morocco, get over the border, which I did do. I forgot my passport initially, so the boys had to meet me in a cab. Got into Morocco, and that was the end of the longest round challenge, on the actual anniversary of Ricky Hatton Pass him. Oh, on that actual day. Wow, that is sensational, ridiculous. How many miles did we know what the distance is?

He was just shy of 19. I think with the sailing. and this swim that I'd done, I think we'd probably hit 1900 miles. Wow. It was epic, and I can't thank the support of everyone. And is that for the Ricky Hat and foundation? No, it was. It was for Calm. So I did it in memory of Ricky Atten.

In memory of Ricky, but for Calm. And I did it for the charity Calm, who Ricky was once an ambassador for. And they were brilliant. Honestly, I had one conversation with them, and I knew that they were the charity. We were just shy of £50,000 raise. And when I got to about $45,000, Anna, who works at Calm,

told me some numbers. He said, just want to let you know that the 45,000 that you've raised to date, potentially could save 3,684 lives through our helpline. And I was just blown away that, you know, all of us were able to do something special. And it's fitting that we're doing this interview 24 hours after former British champion and two-time world title challenger Paul Lloyd could have done with a phone line to call. Took his life last night, Paul Lloyd, at 57 years of age. Fort Marko Antonio Barreira

at the Royal Albao. So listen, Darren, I can't even begin to tell you. Barry, I know Barry Jones joins you a few times. He's done 65 miles with me. He's not stopped moaning about having to buy like 30 pounds worth of cycling trousers. He has not stopped. I'll tell you what, all bad has done well.

I'm so proud of it. I'm so buzzing that he support me. Tony, he really did. He done 55 miles. He would have done more, but it's only because he had work and he fell off the bike. He had a bad one. A bad one.

I turn around. He's trying to blame me, but he went ass over, you know what. Like a proper crash? Yeah, it was proper, like proper. But he's got like a warrior that he hasn't done another 10 miles. Carrying the bike. Carrying a bike. He's done well.

He done well. But anyone who joined me in the UK was much, you know, I really appreciate it. And I was on my own in France and Spain. Darren, the last one I'll leave you with is, will you be doing something similar next year? Is that the plan? Yeah. Yeah.

Don't tell my wife. No, no, I won't tell you. It won't be as long, but I've got a plan. I've got two in the pipeline, so I want to keep doing this. I really do. And let me ask you this question, because obviously it was your wife that told me that I'd got it wrong, that it wasn't part of a massive organised run, whatever you want to call it, race event. How did you come up with Edinburgh to Morocco?

So basically, very quickly, I spoke to someone on a cycle once. I'm not cyclist, but I went to me and Spencer, Oliver went to Cuba a few years ago, probably 10 years ago, and we did about 200 miles. It was like a little while a day. I was speaking to one of the fellas there, and I asked him, do you do any cycling? He goes, yeah, yeah, I'm a proper, you know, keen cyclist.

I said, have you done any challenges like this? Before he said, oh, this ain't a challenge. You know, this is a walk in the park. I've done something, or he was doing something called the Clock to the Rock, a big bend to Gibraltar. Oh, that's quite good. You like that. And it stuck with me.

I thought, I would love to do something like that. So then I thought to myself, how can I make it a bit more extreme? and I just put in the UK, I put in the swims and there we have it. You know, I've been trying to do it for 10 years. I talked about it on radio. In fact, about 11 years ago. Soho to Soho. Soho in central London to soho in New York, walking.

Because you can cross the barren straits between Russia and Alaska. Of course you can, yeah. Because it freezes over. Swimming. Swimming is impossible, my friend, but you can cross it occasionally. People do get across it. It would take a couple of years, but it could be done. That would be epic.

I know. How many miles is that, do you know? Well, you go, well, you get permission to walk under the Thames, so walk under the channel. So you walk to Dover or whatever it is, go under the tunnel, come up, head up all the way up into Russia, cross all across the top of Russia. I have no idea, I don't know, what, it'd be 7,000 miles?

That would be unbelievable. And I'll tell you what, it'd be at first, I think. No one's done that, have they? No, no, no, no one's done it. It's without doubt, soho to soho. Why don't we do it? We're jumping a bike together. I get a little sidecar.

See, here's the thing. I'm not saying you could cheat but let's say after a month you could have a week off, fly home and then go back to that point somewhere in Russia I mean it's a bit tricky with it. Listen, it's not about me

it's about you. But Darren, I couldn't say congratulations. I think it was absolutely brilliant and I'm not making no excuses we should have come out Paddy and I see you that was a plan. We didn't get around to it. Darren, thank you. Cheers mate. Thanks everyone for your support. No, I know you joined him briefly

but while he's talking there down and I thought it's stunning and staggering what he did in memory of Ricky Hatton. What he was talking about there was a lot of it was solar. So a lot of it was just him driving through Spain and driving through France. And there's a big old country's. Yeah, I literally...

Nineteen hundred miles, he thinks. I video called him every day. Oh, did you? Well done. Every day. And then I got... I'm not taking credit for it. Sometimes he's going to take some credit.

And then I couldn't have done it without me. You know what I mean? And then I got other people to video call him as well. I think I said that to him. I said Barry puts it all down to him, you know. And I got other people, it's just to, but I video called, it's going to be, it's going to be rude and crude now. I video called him like on the toilet, try to make him laugh,

you know, different places. Trying to lift his spirits? Going like, look at my kid's arguing. I wish I was on the bike with you. One of you going with that now? No, it was all just trying to break up because he's on his own and it's a mental and physical, I think, no, things like that, endurance things.

And he needs just to break his mood. Maybe it helped, maybe it didn't. But Darren Barker is arguably the loveiest person on the planet. I say it. I mean, everyone says, it's easy to say it, but I'm with them a lot. I'm in them a lot. And he's selfless. I mean, to a fault. Yeah, he is. And some people do things. A lot of people, in our industry especially, a lot of people do things with an ulterior motive. You know, to draw attention to themselves, for money. Listen, I won't go out of the bed unless you've got to pay me.

I mean, I'm honest about it, though. But I mean, he did that for other people. Not for Ricky Hatton. It was in memory of Rick Hatton, but for people that are sure. struggling and we've seen now with people with suicide with men there's a real issue for men the pressures they have to cope with. Well Paul Lloyd in the last 48 hours. Exactly I'm glad you said that I won't show whether I'd be able to say that. It was a fantastic fight and I got to see him live actually and I was me a port once and I did yeah I drove up with Barry Kelly who's boxing on the undercut and it was a fighter from an athlete. Barry B-A-R-R-I-E yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah and so you know So I got the sea pole.

And it's just, yeah, it's horrible. And I think Darren did that just to shine a light. And I think he said yourself about the money they've raised will save like, or 3,000 lives will be affected, where they'll be able to reach out, speak to them, put them in the right direction. Nothing's foolproof, but a little bit helps. Talking helps, it does.

And no one talks more than me. Listen, Barry, we're getting very close to being kicked out here. So I'm going to thank you. Absolutely brilliant. were brilliant, brilliant driving tonight, brilliant driving today. If you're nice, I'll give you a lift-all. Yeah, it'll be very nice of you. Now, this pod's an odd pod because generally Paddy,

Paddy English, as I call him, is in charge, but Paddy got married. And he's gone to Istanbul, then to Baku, on his honeymoon. So it's not him. Now, he generally says to me, you're not going to do a news roundup at the end. But you know what? With him being married, and congratulations to him and Kate,

I am going to do a bit of a news roundup, And that's also because there's so much news. Some of it's terrific, some of it's odd, some of it's a bit sad. Anyway, I'm going to go through one or two things. And one of the most amazing things that's happened is in the last, I don't know, 20-odd days, four British champions from the 70s and the 80s and the 90s have died. Paul Lloyd, former Bantamweight champion, who also fought a couple of times for the world title. He died.

Two light welterweight champions from the 70s and the 90s. Colin Powers and Tony Lang died and a great light middleweight from the 70s called Jimmy Batten died. I mean, four champions dying in a couple of weeks. I find that quite ridiculous. Now, a couple of other bits of news. The British boxing board of control

have introduced a new weight. They're calling it light cruiser. And it sits between light heavyweight and cruiser weight. There was a 25-pound gap there. Now there's not. So 12-7 is light heavyweight, above 12-7, but below 13-5 will become light cruiser. Hamza-Sheres has given up his WBO Super Middleweight title because a purse bid for his defence against Janubek Al-Alim Canuli only reached a million dollars and he would only reach a million

pound-over and he would have only made 750,000. So he's giving it up. That's a strange old one. As I say, one or two or bits of news. Next week there's a couple of big fights. It might be the final Delilah for Nathan Heaney. He fights in Birmingham. And then the Copper Box in East London,

Zuffer's new fight in Johnny Fisher fights. Interesting week it's been, interesting time it's been. Pat Brown in front of 5,000 of his devoted people was extraordinary. Eddie Hearn has given us an most staggering and stunning and up-to-date update on that fight. It looks like December 11th and it looks like the principality and it looks like Cardiff.

At last, hallelujah, 10 years on. It's been a busy night as it goes. I'm Steve Bunce and this has been 5 live boxing. In the early 90s, women's tennis was having a moment. This is a match that will live in the memory of all of us forever. Sturley had been so dominant. Suddenly along came Monica Sellis. She hit the ball big, she hit two hands off both sides.

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