Ward takes silver after gutsy display in world final

Joe Ward will be coming home to Moate with a silver medal from the 2017 world boxing championships after he was beaten by the exceptional Cuban Julio La Cruz in their 81kg final in Hamburg this evening (Saturday). 

This has been another great tournament for the local 23-year-old but it's his misfortune that he shares a weight division with a boxer as gifted as Cruz, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist and now four-time world champion. 

Ward often boxes on the back foot but started aggressively this evening. La Cruz was on the canvas in the opening seconds, though the referee ruled this a slip and not a knockdown. 

The Moate southpaw had some success with his straight left, but La Cruz started to find his range midway through the opening round. 

The Cuban presents a very slippery target and his long snappy punches caused more problems for Ward in round two, though again the Irishman landed a few good straight shots of his own. 

Ward pushed forward again in the third round. He continued his efforts to disrupt La Cruz's momentum but the 28-year-old drew on all of his top-level experience to successfully close out the contest.

The reigning world champion, who has now beaten Ward on three occasions, applauded his opponent's gutsy performance after the final bell sounded. 

La Cruz was the winner on all five of the judges' scorecards, though three judges gave one of the rounds to Ward. 

This latest medal adds to a superb list of honours won by Ward in recent years. He started boxing at senior level in 2011, and has now won two world silver medals (2015 and 2017), a world bronze (2013), and three European gold medals (2011, 2015 and 2017). 

Ward and other members of the Irish squad are due home in Dublin airport at 1.55pm tomorrow afternoon (Terminal 1, Flight, Ryanair FR8512).