Brian Brunette

Personal life

Brunette is a member of the Brunette family of boxers, three brothers who are co-proprietors of Brunette's Boxing Gym in Saint Paul. Brian Brunette is the business manager for the gym.

Professional career

Brunette made his professional debut on July 7, 1980 with a second round knockout of Wayne Grant on the undercard of the Larry Holmes-Scott LeDoux match at Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Brunette won his first 23 fights, 17 of them by knockout, including bouts with 63-43-3 Bruce Strauss and a split decision win against 22-4 Gary Holmgren to take the Minnesota junior middleweight title before a crowd of 2,629.

On September 6, 1986, Brunette squared off 46-0 against Patrizio Oliva in Campania, Italy for the WBA light welterweight title; the referee stopped this fight in the third round of a bout scheduled for fifteen because of an accidental thumbing. Three months later Brunette returned to the ring for one last fight, defeating middleweight Billy Travers by fifth-round TKO. It was his final professional fight as he retired at the age of 28. At the end of his career, Brunette had compiled a record of 24-0 with 18 wins coming by knockout.