Joe Ward and David Oliver Joyce two fights away from Rio

Irish boxers Joe Ward and David Oliver Joyce are just two wins away from qualifying for Rio 2016. Both boxers, competing in the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB), must finish in the top two of the competition which comes to a conclusion over March and April.

Ward, who lost his first fight in October to Russian Nikita Ivanov, has won his last three bouts and last week beat the former professional Spas Genov. Professional boxers with a limited number of fights have been allowed to take part in APB and compete for Olympic qualification.

Former professional

If Ward can win his next bout against former French professional Mathieu Bauderlique and follow it up with another win in a defacto APB semi-final, he will qualify for the

Rio Games

almost 18 months before they begin.

Lightweight David Oliver Joyce is in exactly the same position as Ward with two wins also putting him through to Rio.

In the entirely revised system of Olympic qualification, boxers can now earn a route to Rio via the World Series of Boxing (WSB), the APB and the traditional amateur way, of reaching or winning the World Amateur Boxing Championships.

Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan, both bronze medallists from London 2012, compete in the WSB, which is further away from deciding the Rio qualifiers.

Just one boxer in Barnes 49kg division goes through to Brazil and two in Conlan’s 56kg division.

In APB there are 17 Olympic places open to boxers with two from each of Ward’s 81kg and Joyce’s 60kg divisions advancing .

If Ward beats the French boxer next month, he is likely to meet the Bulgarian Genov, who he defeated last week. Genov contests the other side of the draw and is likely to advance.

"Yeah Joe and David Oliver are in the last four. Joe's against the former professional French fighter and David Oliver is in against a guy from Uzbekistan. Two fights and they have qualified for Rio," said Irish head coach Billy Walsh.

“Both are doing very well. Probably Joe has the better

chance. A bit of lack of conditioning in his first fight cost him but he learned and he’s in good nick. Joe has a very good chance and he should qualify if he keeps going the way he is. He’s just two wins away and 18 months out from Rio. That’s alright.”

Ward fell just short in qualifying for the 2012 Olympics when he controversially lost out to a Turkish fighter in Trabzon in Turkey. Despite protestations against the decision and a last ditch plea to the International Olympic Committee, he didn't make it to London.

But since losing to Ivanov in his first fight, the World Championship bronze medallist has beaten Oybek Mamazulunov, Michael Serge and Genov in a run to the last four.

The first of the 81kg Olympic berths has already been secured by Iran with the four remaining fighters competing for the second place.

‘Well prepared’

“Iran has already taken one place,” added Ward’s coach, Eddie Butler. “If Joe wins his two remaining fights, he will face the Iranian in and APB final. But regardless of what happens in the final he will have qualified. He’s two wins away from Rio, or one loss away of being out. But he’s improving. When he is conditioned and well prepared nobody will beat him.

“Over the last three fights Joe has hardly dropped a round. He is in a good place at the moment. But there’s also hardly a punch between the guys who are left.”

Exact dates have not yet been set for the final bouts.