Team Ireland’s Aidan Walsh enjoyed a unanimous decision victory over Cameroonian Olympic boxer Albert Mengue Ayissi to progress to the Men’s Welterweight quarter-finals.
Mengue Ayissi was the aggressor in the fight with Walsh more than happy to sit back and enjoy a defensive, counter-attacking role.
The Cameroonian swung wild and dangerously throughout the fight, getting docked points twice in the three rounds for dangerous hits.
Four of the five judges working at the match scored the first round in favour of Aidan Walsh after a strong finish to the round displayed the differences in quality between the two fighters.
The 24-year-old from Belfast stuck to his gameplan and continued to cut a frustrated figure out of his opponent, who couldn’t get the better of Walsh.
The Olympic boxer’s sister, fellow Olympian Michaela, was audible throughout the fight, cheering her brother on as promised.
The Cameroonian’s first point-docking was given out in the second round for hits to the back of the head.
His constant counter-jabs picked away at Mengue Ayissi and earned the respect of the judges, who all scored the second round in favour of the Irishman.
Mengue Ayissi earned a second deduction at the start of the third round and it gave the boxer some urgency to secure a grand finish but it was too little, too late for the Olympian.
Walsh was even more conservative in the final round after the second deduction, knowing the fight was won if he stayed on his feet.
The judges awarded the Belfast boxer a unanimous decision win (30-25×3, 29-26, 28-27) over his opponent and gave the Team Ireland athlete a ticket to the Welterweight quarter-finals.
Walsh will face Mauritius’ Merven Clair in the quarter-final after the latter beat number-four seed Zeyad Ishiash from Jordan, with the fighters close to Olympic bronze.
The fight will take place in the early hours of Friday morning.
