Joe Ward avenges debut defeat with unanimous points win over Delgado

Joe Ward has recorded the first significant win of his professional boxing career, earning a unanimous decision victory over Marco Delgado in Puerto Rico in the early hours of Friday morning, Irish time.

The 27-year-old used his superior boxing skills to win each of the six rounds on all three judges' scorecards.

In doing so, he avenged his second round TKO defeat to Delgado when he suffered a freak knee injury in their first fight in New York 18 months ago.

The win has given Ward's profile in the United States a welcome boost, as it was televised live on the NBC Sports Network.

The US commentators spoke highly of the Moate man's ability and said he had the potential to follow in Katie Taylor's footsteps by becoming a major global star.

Delgado (29), who entered the fight with a record of seven wins and just one defeat, started the fight aggressively, swinging wildly at times and seeking to disrupt Ward's momentum with manoeuvres that weren't always in the rulebook.

However, the cleaner and sharper punches were consistently delivered by Ward. He was troubled by Delgado only once - when the Californian landed a hefty shot that appeared to temporarily stun him towards the end of the fourth round.

Nevertheless, Ward clinched that round and all of the others on the judges' scorecards, earning his third win in four pro fights to date.

* For more, see next week's Westmeath Independent