Joel Brunker maintains perfect record with win over Mike Oliver in Atlantic City

AUSTRALIAN featherweight Joel Brunker has maintained his perfect record with a unanimous points win against veteran Mike Oliver in Atlantic City.

Joel Brunker

WORLD-RATED Australian featherweight Joel Brunker has maintained his perfect professional boxing record with a unanimous points win against American veteran Mike Oliver in Atlantic City.

Brunker 27 (27-0, 15 KOs) finished 78-74 ahead on the cards of all three judges, winning six rounds to two in an undercard bout to the Daniel Geale-Darren Barker middleweight world title fight on Saturday night (Sunday AEST).

The Australian pushed the pace throughout the eight-round bout, frequently bullying 33-year-old southpaw Oliver onto the ropes.

The fight was a series of inside exchanges with neither combatant jabbing much.

Brunker was a clear and deserving winner, but didn't have things all his own way against Oliver (25-5, 8 KOs), who dropped a majority points decision last month to Australia's former IBF featherweight champion Billy Dib.

He was cut near his left eye in the fifth round, with the referee ruling the wound was caused by an unintentional head butt, though replays suggested it may have been a right hand punch that did the damage.

Athens Olympian Brunker attacked Oliver's body throughout the bout, but was warned to keep his punches up in the sixth round.

Oliver was down in the seventh, but the referee ruled it a slip, though Brunker did appear to land a punch.
Brunker is rated fourth by the WBO, seventh by the IBF, 13th by the WBA and 15th by the WBC.