Gardiner just falls short of Euro Championships medal

Dean Gardiner’s European Championships came to an end in Baku on Monday evening.

France’s Tony Yoka, an AIBA Pro Boxer (APB) and ex World Series of Boxing (WSB) fighter, beat Tipperary’s Dean Gardiner on a unanimous decision in the super-heavyweight class.

Yoka’s swifter jab and mobility proved to be the difference in the opening two frames.

The No. 3 seed took those two rounds across the board, but Gardiner, in his second fight back since breaking his right hand boxing for the Mexico Guerreros in the WSB in February, found the target with the majority of cleaner and more solid shots to win the third and final round.

Yoka will meet Joe Joyce of Team GB in the last-four.

London 2012 Olympian Adam Nolan (5pm), Sean McComb (10:15am) and Dean Walsh (10:45am) will be in quarter-final action in Baku on Tuesday. (Approximate times) – Irish times apply for bouts).