Belfast light-heavyweight Stephen Kirk is assured of at least a bronze medal in the World Boxing Championships in Budapest. Last night in the quarter-finals, Kirk, from the Cairn Lodge club, edged out Tamer Erolov of Bulgaria, on a 10-9 decision.

Irish champion Kirk will now face a tough encounter with Russian Alexandr Lebziak in the semi-finals.

A tentative start by Kirk allowed Erolov to take a 2-0 lead going into the third round but he then produced some of his best boxing. Staggering Erolov with a crisp left hook and leading the referee to give his opponent a count, Kirk eventually took the round 42.

Kirk continued his dominance in the fourth, ramming home his jilting left lead which gave him a 10-7 advantage going into the final round.

The Ulsterman then seemed to coast a little, allowing the Bulgarian to get within a point and Kirk's relief at the final bell was evident.

Earlier, Waterford welterweight Neil Gough failed to get among the medals. Gough was beaten 6-2 by one of the favourites for the gold, Russia's Olympic champion Oleg Saitov.