Thirteen long years in the ring for Australian boxer Joel Brunker has come down to this. Brunker is just one fight away from a shot at a world title.
On Saturday night he will take on Welshman Lee Selby at a packed O2 Arena in London. The winner will fight IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich, the man who took the title from Australia’s Billy Dib.
Brunker, who hails from Richmond in Sydney’s west, began boxing as a 15-year-old. His ring career has seen him go from the amateur ranks, time at the AIS, and competition at the 2004 Olympic Games, to turning pro in 2008.
In the past six years he has built a solid 27-0 record, with fights across Australia and two bouts in the US.
Brunker, now 28, has been building to this.
The featherweight has been sparring in New York in the lead-up for several weeks and says he is ready to go.
“The preparation has been great,” Brunker told me this week.
“I feel the break from boxing was just what the body needed. I have come back fresh, hungry and boxing better than ever. I spent most of camp over in America getting in some good sparring with some top fighters. I am now in London and all the hard work is done.”
Brunker’s opponent on October 11, Selby, is an interesting one. The Welshman is 19-1-0 and the two have previously crossed paths in the ring in the US.
There is mutual respect between the two pugilists.
“Lee is a world-class fighter,” Brunker said.
“He is tough, fast and skillful. I have sparred him before and it was very competitive. It was a few years back now in one of my trips to America. I think we sparred 30 rounds. I am looking forward to the challenge. I predict it is going to be a very fast-paced fight. I know Selby and what he is capable of and he knows me. Neither of us is taking the other lightly.”
Selby isn’t giving much away on his previous tussle with Brunker, but he knows the challenge ahead. This week he said, “Joel is a tough customer, he has power in both hands and is the real deal so this is the time for me to prove I can get to the top and stay there.”
Selby also believes that Brunker will be a harder opponent than the current IBF titleholder Evgeny Gradovich: “I think that this is a tougher fight than facing Gradovich. He’s a similar type of fighter but Gradovich doesn’t punch as hard as Brunker and he’s not as relentless with his pressure either so he’d give me more time to get my shots off and outbox him.”
Selby has been busier of late but Brunker has the advantage in age and experience, and having fought overseas. But the Brit is taller and has a longer reach than Brunker, which the Australian doesn’t mind.
“I prefer taller fighters, short guys are awkward and harder to hit,” Brunker said.
“You can change your fight style and plan to match any style of fighter, I will mix up my style to counter his longer reach.”
Selby is considered one of the UK’s next big things. He likes to box on the back foot, moves well and is pretty big for a featherweight. Brunker will need to pressure Selby, turn the fight into a war and out-work him, but be wary of copping too many shots as he comes forward.
With a hostile crowd against him as well as a classy opponent, there’s no denying that Brunker is up against it.
“Selby will have the crowd behind him no doubt about it,” he said.
“The moment I walk out to the ring I will be zoned out to everything around me, so it won’t affect me at all.”
As he is fighting away from home, Brunker admits he has thought about the judging.
“Look, it is something I have thought about, but something I can’t control,” he said.
“If I was to lose unfairly by the judges I take comfort in knowing the fans can view the fight and make up their own mind. That being said, I am hoping for a fair shake from the judges so that the better man wins on the night and goes on to beat Gradovich.”
It’s been an up-and-down year for Australian boxing, with a number of fighters with world title shots falling short at the last hurdle.
For Joel Brunker, thirteen years of toil has come down to this moment. Win, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance at glory and fame is there. Lose, and it’s back to the drawing board.
“Losing isn’t something I really let enter my mind,” Brunker says.
“I think this fight will benefit both fighters regardless on who wins. This fight will be explosive and it will be a spectacular fight for all the fans to witness.
“Ever since turning professional I have wanted to get an opportunity at a world title. I am one fight away from this. This is easily the biggest fight of my career against the toughest opponent of my career.”
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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