Just moments after delighting a growing army of fans with a sixth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten John Hedges, Brown found himself being asked about a future fight with The Ring champion Jai Opetaia.

Although he isn’t the type to turn down a challenge, Brown said that he would like to have a few more fights before facing the Australian.

It is a sensible approach. Brown, 26, has plenty of time on his side.

In 12 months time, the cruiserweight picture will have changed and the current crop of champions will all have more miles on their clocks. If Brown continues to progress, he will be more than ready to enter the mix.

Unless a high-profile slot on a major undercard presents itself, Brown is going to be kept in Manchester, as his team formulates a plan to sharpen his skill set, builds him into a major attraction and ensures that he'll be ready.

Here are three fights which could help Brown bridge the gap — a hypothetical list that completely disregards the political, promotional and financial hurdles.

A left-field suggestion as Junior has slipped out of the spotlight over the past 12 months. The powerful 23-year-old Londoner will need to pick up an eye-catching win or two but he remains one of Britain’s most exciting, interesting prospects.

A meeting of Britain’s most promising cruiserweights would be an important clash between polar opposite personalities and push two of new generation into a spotlight.

Meaningful fights between contrasting characters have always captured the imagination of boxing fans here. Think back to Eubank-Benn, DeGale-Groves and Froch-Groves.

Junior enters every fight exceptionally confident of winning and would loudly and proudly push his claims before a fight with Brown.

Brown has made it abundantly clear that he has little time for fake hype and histrionics but isn’t going to sit back and allow anybody to dominate him physically or verbally.

Junior would bring athleticism, aggression and flair. Brown would bring a steely determination, amateur grounding and heavy, thudding power.

In the aftermath of Brown’s win over Hedges, promoter Eddie Hearn wondered aloud just how many British fighters would be willing to step into the ring with him.

If Hearn does have to cast his net further adrift, he could call Canada’s Rozicki safe in the knowledge that he would get a resounding yes.

He is known for walking towards trouble rather than avoiding it.

On June 6, the 31-year-old was retired in his corner after the seventh round of a violent battle with former WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith.

Brown has shown that he can bully and break down opponents and has also proven that he can be patient. Rozicki would force him to react.

A fight with Rozicki would give Brown a direct point of reference as to where he stands and make for a thrilling spectacle.

Win and Brown would be ideally placed to challenge one of the division’s leading lights for a world title before the end of 2027.

Massey is a former European cruiserweight champion who has been hamstrung by inactivity.

The 33-year-old is also looking for a way back into contention after being stopped by Cheavon Clarke on June 6. Massey dropped Clarke twice and found himself on the verge of an impressive win before getting stopped himself in the seventh round of a war.

Massey is tough, big at the weight and has underrated boxing ability. Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker couldn’t make a significant dent in him, but Opetaia did stop him in the sixth of an IBF title fight in October 2024.

It is highly unlikely that Brown would be able to walk straight through Massey and he would also need to be defensively aware. Massey may not be a lights-out puncher, but he does hit hard enough to take advantage of any lapses.

Brown would need to pace himself, solve problems and be effective in the pocket. A victory would be a rock-solid British title defense against a respected opponent.

A loud fan base would also make the short trip from Derbyshire to support Massey.