Kelyn Cassidy is one win away from representing Ireland at the Paris Olympics.
The Saviour's Crystal's boxer advanced to the quarter-finals of the Road to Paris qualifiers earlier this afternoon, winning his third preliminary by unanimous decision on the judge's scorecards.
The bout was not without incident with the referee becoming involved on more than one occasion to warn both boxers against holding, while the referee also had to call on the ringside doctor several times to check on two separate cuts to the face of Cassidy's opponent, Rafayel Hovhannisyan.
With fresh legs in the opening round, the Waterford native was able to stay on his bike to evade the power shots coming from the blue corner as Hovhannisyan tried to chase him around the ring. Cassidy's superior footwork held him in good stead, allowing him to land punches and escape to safety before the Armenian's retaliation
The first round was scored 4-1 for Cassidy, who had caused significant damage to the right eye of the 22-year-old U23 European Championship competitor, while managing to avoid the lions share of damaging blows coming his way.
The second round was much the same, albeit the Armenian emerged from his corner with bad intent. He immediately bullrushed the Irish senior elite champion, hoping to slow the pace he was being faced with. Cassidy was happy to move towards the ropes to invite the on-rushing Hovhannisyan, only to thwart his opponent, slipping away along the ropes when shots started to fly.
Clean single shots from Cassidy picked off the Armenian as he waded into range. The doctor was called on again in the second round to check the cut under the Armenian's left eye, but the official was happy for the bout to continue each time he checked.
Cassidy led on the scorecards again at the end of the second, with Hovhannisyan needing a 10-8 round in the third if he was to steal the win. That 10-8 round did not materialise, but not for the lack of trying.
Hovhannisyan - who had started the second lively - was like a raging bull in the third, swinging power hooks to destabilise Cassidy. He achieved what he had set out to do as a tiring Cassidy was caught in two separate flurries, but was abe to shake off the cobwebs in time to defend himself from the ensuing blows.
Cassidy managed to cut his opponent under his other eye in the third, with the doctor called again, but allowing the Armenian to continue.
As they neared the end, the referee warned both boxers against holding, and Hovhannisyan threw everything he had at Cassidy, who was able to stay clear of the onslaught coming his way.
With the referee holding the de-gloved hands of both boxers in the centre of the ring, the announced declared the result in favour of the boxer in the red corner, with a broad grin spreading across Cassidy's face that quickly dissolved into a look of relief.
He is now one win away from putting himself on the plane to Paris. Tomorrow he will step between the ropes for his quarter-final bout opposite Nurbek Oralbay. The Kazakhstani boxer boasts a record of 51-14-0 (5 KOs).
He was a gold medalist at both the World Amateur Championships and Youth World Championships, with a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.
He, like Cassidy, has won all three of his bouts en route to the quarters, beating former World Championship silver medallist Aliaksei Alfiorau - a man who has previously beaten Cassidy - in his third preliminary.
