Michaela Walsh romps into last 16 with first-round success at World Boxing Championships

Michaela Walsh romps into last 16 with first-round success at World Boxing Championships

Michaela Walsh. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Gráinne Walsh. Photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Michaela Walsh produced a sensational result for Team Ireland, winning her opening World Boxing Championship bout against Saudi Arabia’s Hadeel Ashbour by way of a first-round referee standing count after her opponent was given three standing-counts.

Ashbour looked out of her depth and Olympian Walsh unleashed on with pinpoint jabs and powerful shots.

The 32-year-old veteran boxes her last-16 bout in Sunday’s evening session, where she’ll meet the winner of the match between Taipei’s Shih-Yi Wu and Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic.

Louis Rooney exited the championships on a dreaded 3-2 split decision after a