Ward and Quigley secure bronze and now eye golden moments
They beat Hungary’s Zoltan Harsca and Russia’s Nikita Ivanov, respectively, in yesterday’s quarter-finals — the first time Irish boxers have won two medals at the same World Elite Championships.
For Ward, who celebrates his 20th birthday next Wednesday, an historic international world hat-trick of gold medals in three different weight and age classes is on the cards. The current Irish champion claimed AIBA World Junior light-middleweight gold in 2009 and AIBA World Youth middleweight gold in 2010.
Cuba’s Julio De La Cruz-Peraza, a gold medallist from the 2011 world championships, stands in his way of a place in Saturday’s final.
“There was only going to be one outcome anyway,” said Irish head coach Billy Walsh after Ward beat Ivanov. “Joe was well on top. The Cuban will be very tricky in the semi-finals. He had a good win over the Algerian today.”
Ward also beat Ivanov in the 2011 European final when he was just 17 and is enjoying every moment of the championships.
“It was completely different because he was physically stronger than me and it was different scoring, said Ward. “I said to myself going in there that I had to start from the start in the centre and drive him back as much as I can. I nailed him with a straight left. Billy, Zuar and Eddie [Irish coaches] were telling me when he comes out every time he throws; left hand, right hook.
“I caught him with a left hand, right hook and he fell forward. I’m not sure if he hit my head or the punches did it. Whatever it was it caused a lot of damage.”
Earlier yesterday, Jason Quigley dropped Hungary’s Zoltan Harsca in the second en route to the middleweight semi-final on a unanimous decision.
Today is a rest day at the championships. The semi-finals will be decided tomorrow and on Saturday. No Irish male boxer has ever reached an AIBA World Elite final since the inaugural tournament in Havana in 1974.
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