Selby sees off Brunker to set up world title shot
Lee Selby (20-1, 8 KOs) scored a ninth round TKO over previously unbeaten Joel Brunker (27-1, 15 KOs) in an IBF featherweight eliminator on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Selby outboxed Brunker from the opening bell, and by the fourth he was picking off the Australian at ease. Although the Welshman was always in command, Brunker was tough and soaked up a lot of punishment.
It was by the seventh that Selby was starting to wonder if he could produce the stoppage that people wanted to see and that the rest of the featherweight world champions needed to see.
Well it came after a quiet start to the ninth but as soon as a fierce left hook hammered into the Australian's ribs, it signalled a seriously clinical finish from Selby.
The first shot took his sails away and then he moved in with a left-right-left, not once but twice, then a left to the head that finally left Brunker almost sitting on the bottom rope, barely able to balance, never mind box back. The referee Marcus McDonnell rightly stepped in and halted the bout at 2:49 of the round.
Selby now will get his shot at the IBF featherweight world title and can now sit and wait to find out when and who he will be fighting for the belt.
The current champion Russia's Evgeny Gradovich defends against Jayson Velez in November 29.
Also on the card, unbeaten 2012 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist heavyweight Anthony Joshua (9-0, 9 KOs) blew away veteran Denis Bakhtov (38-9, 25 KOs) in two rounds to win the vacant WBC International heavyweight title. Joshua, already scheduled to face former Prizefighter winner Michael Sprott next month, bludgeoned Russian Bakhtov until referee Ian John-Lewis waved it off at 1:00 of the second round. No Joshua opponent to date has lasted through three rounds.
Other results on the card: