Laying the foundations: Brown and Crolla chase their boxing dreams with Matchroom Run Club in Manchester

Pat Brown and William Crolla have always had big dreams. Now, the two Manchester fighters are on the cusp of making them a reality.

The duo are set to share the stage on Friday night, with Brown, a Paris 2024 Olympian, making his highly anticipated professional debut and Crolla – brother of former world champion Anthony – entering his eighth professional bout at Planet Ice in Altrincham.

However, before they were fighting under the lights, they were working under the sky – on building sites across Manchester as scaffolders.

Crolla, a fast-rising Super-Welterweight prospect, took a break from boxing before fully committing to his career, while Brown was an aspiring amateur with his sights set on Team GB.

Looking back, their shared experience in scaffolding laid the groundwork – both literally and figuratively – for the perseverance and discipline they now bring to their boxing careers.

“I think our last job together was about five years ago,” Crolla recalled.

“I quit to pursue boxing full-time, while Pat was aiming to get on the GB team.”

For Brown, who is stepping into the professional ranks at cruiserweight, those days on site were just another step in the journey.

“We were on a site at Princess House just off Mancunian Way. He was on level two, I was a labourer, so I was running the kit up to him – but even then, we had our eyes on something bigger.”

During lunch breaks, their conversations often turned to their ambitions.

“We used to sit in the cabin and talk about what we wanted to do,” Crolla continued.

“Pat wanted to win the ABAs and go to the Olympics, I was going to turn pro. Now here we are.”

Their journey from scaffolders to prizefighters is an inspiring story of drive and dedication – one that embodies the spirit of Matchroom’s commitment to uniting communities and supporting grassroots boxing.

Ahead of their fights, Brown and Crolla joined fans at a Matchroom Run Club event on Sunday, a 5K community run starting from Hotel Football, across the road from Old Trafford.

The run club initiative is designed to promote fitness, connection and inspire the next generation of boxers with chances to meet – and run with – their heroes.

Over 75 friends, family members, fans and clubmates of the fighters turned out to show their support, creating an electric atmosphere.

Manchester Road Runners planned a fun and rewarding route, ensuring participants of all levels could enjoy the experience while coming together to celebrate the fighters’ journeys – with Run the Streets MCR providing their trademark musical beats.

Avid Manchester United fans, both fighters had once dreamed of stepping into the ring at Old Trafford, where legends like Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn famously fought. However, with the historic stadium set to be replaced in the coming years, their dreams have evolved.

“Hopefully, I’ll be fighting there instead of building it,” Crolla joked.

“There are dreams, and then there’s another level above that – fighting at the new stadium.”

Brown echoed the sentiment, sharing the same vision for the future, believing their careers could align perfectly with the new stadium’s timeline.

“By the time it’s built, Will and I will be at the top of our game. If the stars align, we could both be fighting there. That would be something special.”

From scaffolding to the squared circle, Crolla and Brown’s journey is proof that with hard work and dedication, dreams don’t just stay dreams – they become reality.

If you attended Saturday’s Matchroom Run Club, you can access all event images here.