JOE WARD IS the one remaining Irish boxer left to fly the flag at the World Championships, as he cruised into the quarter finals of the light heavyweight division in Hamburg earlier.

The reigning European champion produced a dominant and comfortable 5-0 win over Georgia’s Iago Kizira in what was his first bout at the tournament.

Ward, silver medalist at the last World Championships in Doha, is aiming to become the  first Irish male boxer to medal at three successive World championships — he won bronze in Almaty in 2013 too.

The Westmeath 23-year-old’s next obstacle comes in the form of a quarter-final clash against Mikhail Dauhaliavets of Belarus on Tuesday evening.

Ward’s win lifted the mood in the Irish camp, as he’s the last man standing after a disappointing day.

Dean Gardiner lost out on split decision. AIBA / INPHO AIBA / INPHO / INPHO

Inkyu Kim ended Brendan Irivine's run. AIBA / INPHO AIBA / INPHO / INPHO

Earlier, both Brendan Irvine and Dean Gardiner bowed out at the last 16 stage, to follow on from weekend defeats for Seán McComb and Kurt Walker.

Tipperary super heavyweight Gardiner, in his first World Championships, was edged on a split decision by Colombia’s Christian Salcedo, while Irvine was knocked out by Kim Inkyu of Korea on a unanimous decision in the flyweight decision.

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