Brian Brunette
Brian Brunette is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1986, challenging for the WBA light welterweight title in 1986.
Professional career[edit]
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.[1]
On September 6, 1986, Brunette squared off against undefeated champion Patrizio Oliva in Campania, Italy for Oliva's WBA light welterweight title. Brunette lost via third-round technical knockout (TKO) in a scheduled fifteen round bout, when, his manager (his brother, Tom) stepped in to protect him from a hail of lefts and rights by Oliva.[2] He received a reported $14,500 for the fight.[3]
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 with a record of 24-1 with 18 wins coming by knockout.[4]
He was managed by his brother Tommy and trained by his brother Bob.[1]
Boxing Career
- Inducted into the sport of Boxing at Mancini’s Sports Hall Of Fame 2014
- St Paul Golden Gloves Jr Middleweight Championship and MN State Upper Midwest Jr Middleweight Championship (1979)
- Overall Amateur Golden Gloves/USA Boxing record with 27 wins with 3 decision losses against International Boxers of USA National Teams
- Represented MN State Upper Midwest Team in National Gloves Championship, Indianapolis, IN.
- Won the Jr. Middleweight Championship - USA vs. Canada International competition against Canadian Champion Ken Johnson at St. Paul Civil Center in St. Paul, MN (1979)
- Attended Century College (formerly known as Lakewood Jr. College) in White Bear Lake, MN on an Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Scholarship (1980)
- Professional Boxing debut July 7th, 1980 - Won this bout in a 2nd round knockout (KO) against Wayne Grant from Omaha, NE at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, MN
- Won MN State Jr Middleweight Championship defeating Gary Holmgren 10 round majority decision (02/01/1984)
- Boxed Patrizio Oliva for the WBA World Boxing Association World Jr. Welterweight Championship in Naples, Italy (09/06/1986) (only loss in professional boxing career). The bout was stopped in the 3rd round due to an accidental thumb in the eye.
- Minnesota State Governor Rudy Perpich proclaimed September 6th “Brian Brunette Day” in the State of Minnesota
- Overall professional boxing record 24 wins with 1 loss with 18 KO’s.
- Final Bout - Boxed Billy Travers (12/26/1986), winning by 5th round KO in Key West, Florida
- Retired from the ring due to an eye injury while preparing to box the South Africa Champion in Johannesburg, South Africa (Spring, 1987)
- Inducted into the Sport of Boxing at Mancini’s St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame (2019)
- Inducted into The Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame as one of the most distinguished Boxers in Minnesota History (2019)
- Brunette's overall rank as a Welterweight is 2,922
Professional Boxing Record[edit]
Baseball Career[edit]
- George Washington High School Varsity Baseball Team - Selected to the St. Paul All City Conference Baseball Team (9th,10th, 11th, and 12th grades)
- MN All Metro All Star Team and USA High School All American Baseball Team (1976)
- Played Short Stop, 2nd Base, and Pitcher in 12th grade going 9-0 with an ERA of 2.5 - Overall Batting Average (after 4 years) 371 average (1976) 571; North End American Legion Baseball Team (1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976); Selected to the St. Paul All Legion Team (1973 - 1976)
- Varsity High School Hockey Team Left Wing and Defense (10th, 11th, and 12th grades)
- Counselor and Coach at Chandler Baseball Camp in Chandler, Oklahoma (Summer, 1975), under the leadership of Founder and Owner, Tom Belcher
- While attending Iowa Western Jr. College, played in the 1977 JUCO Jr. College Baseball World Series, Grand Junction, CO
- Attended the University of MN on a Baseball Scholarship (1977 - 1978)
- Played 2nd base for the Staunton Braves MLB Minor League/NCAA Collegiate Baseball Team during the summer of 1978, in Staunton, VA.
- North End American Legion Baseball Coach (1979 - 1980)
- Inductee into the Iowa Western Community College Sports Hall Of Fame (Oct. 20, 2012)
Aviation Career[edit]
FAA Certified Flight Instructor, St. Paul Downtown Airport - 2000 to Present
Certified Flight Instructor - Airplane Multi-& Single-Engine, Instrument. Advanced Ground Instructor, Stage Check Pilot and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) (2004 – 2010). First Officer in a Lear Jet for Bank Air, Inc. West Columbia, SC and Certified Flight Instructor at Wings Inc., Flight School, St. Paul, MN (2000 to 2007).
Aviation Flight Certificates & Ratings
- Commercial Pilot: Multi- and Single-Engine Land Airplane / Instrument Airplane
- Certified Flight Instructor, CFII, MEI Airplane Multi- and Single- Engine Instrument
- Advanced Ground Instructor, Gold Seal Instructor
- ATP Written Completed (2000)
- Stage Check Pilot Instructor for Wings Inc (2000 – 2007)
- FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) MSP FSDO (2005 – 2010)
- FAA First Class Medical Certificate (August 2020)
- Instrument Rating
- Human Factors in Flight
- Gold Seal Instructor
Flight Experience (Hours)
- Total Flight Time - 4033
- Pilot in command - 3204
- Multi Engine - 633
- Cross Country - 964
- Night - 818
- SIC - 485
- Total Instrument - 389
- Dual Given - 2642
- Dual Received - 320
Professional Life[edit]
Great Lakes Region Organizing Committee, St. Paul, MN - 2008 to 2023
Marketing Representative - Built 1:1 relationships with city residents and workers, motivating individuals and groups of workers to action while involving community allies in organizing campaigns.
- Assisted with several Organizing Campaigns and the successful signing of 56 new union contracts and conducting broad and intensive outreach efforts to city residents and to low-wage workers.
- From Top Down, Bottom up, Salting, Striping, banners, and pickets along with Political Involvement that included phone banking, door knocking, proud member engagement, and Union Membership recruitment.
- Coordinated with workers to gather information that is useful in identifying opportunities for membership growth and mobilization, as well as identified and developed leaders to guide and lead campaigns.
- Conducted individual/group meetings with workers to discuss and plan organizing campaigns and engage workers in broader union efforts to bring pressure on industry sectors.
- Member of MN Construction and General Laborers Union (LIUNA) Local 132/563 for 30 years with 4 years as a Union Business Agent (1993-96 & 2000-2001).
- Worked for 12 years in the field as a General Construction Laborer with several different Union Contractors including the City of St. Paul Public Works Department.
Brian Brunette’s Youth Boxing Association, St. Paul, MN - 1986 to 2008
President - Worked with more than 200 Golden Gloves/USA amateur and professional champions for this 501c3 nonprofit affiliated with Regis Golden Gloves/USA Boxing.
- Member of PAL in St Paul, MN. Assisted in daily operations at the Brunette Boxing Gym, and with the training and development of inner-city youth.
- Successfully promoted Golden Gloves/USA Amateur and Professional Boxing Events in Minnesota and throughout the country.
Education[edit]
Attended:
- Gorman Elementary Grade School, St Paul, MN
- Como Park Jr. High School (7th, 8th, 9th grade), St Paul, MN
- George Washington Sr. High School (10th, 11th, 12th grades), St Paul, MN - Graduated 1976
- Iowa Western Jr. College, Council Bluffs, IA (1976 - 1977) - Baseball Scholarship, Physical Education Curriculum
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (1978 – 1979) - Baseball Scholarship, Physical Education Curriculum
- Century College (formerly Lakewood Jr. College), White Bear Lake, MN (1981 – 1983) - Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Scholarship, Business Curriculum
- Inver Hills Jr. College, Inver Grove Heights, MN with Wings Inc., Flight Training School, Holman Field, St. Paul, MN in the Aviation Flight Program (1998 – 2003)
- Completed individual courses including George Mealy Union Leadership 1 & 2, 10 Day Union Organizing Las Vegas, and Mark Belsin Top-Down Union Organizing
Leadership Roles[edit]
- Amateur and Professional Boxing Referee and Judge
- Youth Softball Coach/Hitting & Fielding Instructor
- Speaking with Youth regarding amateur sports and drug free life
Personal Life[edit]
Brunette is a member of the Brunette family of boxers, three brothers who were co-proprietors of Brunette's Boxing Gym in Saint Paul. Brian Brunette was the business manager for the gym from 1986 - 2008.[5] Brian is married with two children and lives in Mendota Heights, MN. Brian is a Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Lineal Descendant (1/16 Blood Quantum). Interests include personal fitness, public speaking, and general aviation
References[edit]
- ^ a b Moton, Tony (May 14, 1986). "Brunette knocks out Sanchez in Round 7". Star Tribune. p. 41. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Patrizio Oliva of Italy, World Boxing Assn". Los Angeles Times. 7 September 1986.
- ^ "Brunette's dream dashed in three". Star Tribune. September 7, 1986. p. 43. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Boxing record for Brian Brunette from BoxRec (registration required)
- ^ Display news[permanent dead link]
External links[edit]
- Boxing record for Brian Brunette from BoxRec (registration required)