MEDAL ALERT: Joe Ward guarantees historic World Championships bronze

The Westmeath light heavyweight won his quarter final bout in Germany to secure a bronze medal at least to add to his 2013 bronze and 2015 silver.

Ward defeated Mikhail Dauhaliavets of Belarus to book his place in Friday’s semi finals.

Ward had defeated the Belarussian slugger at the European and World Championships in 2015 and made it a threepeat tonight.

Southpaw Ward began brilliantly, easing through the first round with his footwork causing the crude Dauhaliavets problems.

The second was another confortable Ward round, landing eye-catching single shots and straight one-twos against the ever-pressing Eastern European.

Ward was in pure exhibition mode in the final round, unloading with combinations as he closed out the win in comfortable style.

Going to the cards there was no doubt, with the judges awarding every round to the Irish team captain (30-27 x4, 30-26).

Ward becomes the first Irish male to win three Elite World medals, adding to his two underage medals. Katie Taylor has six World Championships medals.

In the semis on Friday Ward will face Uzbek Bektemir Melikuziev who defeated Yerik Alzhanov of Kazakhstan in the corresponding quarter.

A familiar fighter to Irish fans, he edged out middleweight Michael O’Reilly in the semi finals of the last edition of the tournament in Qatar. He would win silver here and silver at the Olympics before moving up to light heavy this year where he won Asian gold.