Joe Ward earns unanimous points win in New York

Joe Ward took another step up the ladder in his professional boxing career by defeating US-based Frenchman Frederic Julan in New York's Madison Square Garden during the early hours of Sunday morning, Irish time.

This bout was the first scheduled eight-rounder for the Moate man, and with Julan having lost just one of his thirteen fights to date Ward went in with the expectation that he would be tested more than he had been by his previous opponents as a professional.

The bout duly went the distance, with Ward earning the victory on all three judges' scorecards.

The 29-year-old local man won seven of the eight rounds on two of the judges' cards, and six of the rounds on the third judge's card.

Ward's professional record after tonight's victory stands at eight wins (4 KOs) and one defeat, with that sole blemish coming when he dislocated his knee in a freak incident during his pro debut in October 2019.