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Jason Quigley and Joe Ward were fighting for a place in the AIBA World Boxing Championships finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan today.
Middleweight Quigley faced unseeded Russian Artem Chebotarev, while Ward took on Cuba's second-seeded Julio De La Cruz Peraza.
Find out how the pair got on below, with photos and post-fight interviews from both fights.
The pair were in a relaxed mood as they spoke to Kenny Egan yesterday.
Meanwhile, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan opened the day with some terrible puns.
See if you smoke a cigarette @mickconlan11 ya get a Nikitin rush #spellingmistake #sorry
— Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) October 25, 2013
Can you lend me you Latipov to watch my fight? Sorry spelling mistake I mean laptop, Jesus I think I have concussion @paddyb_ireland #sorry — Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) October 25, 2013
@mickconlan11 haha if I were you I would be "Russian" to watch that again Mick :) — Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) October 25, 2013
@paddyb_ireland what time will Uzbek in Belfast tomorrow??
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) October 25, 2013
Quigley vs Chebotarev
The first round was a cagey affair with Quigley throwing some good counter-punches. He won the round on a split decision from the judges.
There were some anxious moments in the second round as the Irish boxer was given a standing count. But he continued to pick off Chebotarev and all three judges scored the round for Quigley.
The third round had a breathless start as the pair came out swinging. It soon became scrappy, however, and both boxers looked exhausted. But it was Quigley whose arm was raised at the end, letting out a shout of joy in the process as he took all three rounds.
He'll face home-favourite Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in tomorrow's final, already guaranteed a place in the history books as Ireland's first ever finalist at the World Boxing Championships. He'll be hoping to add to the European gold medal he won in June.
Kenneth Egan interviewed a delighted Quigley afterwards:
Joe Ward vs Julio De La Cruz Peraza
Ward was up against it as he faced one of the favourites for boxer of the tournament. The judges scored the first round for Peraza, who dodged most of what Ward threw at him and caught the Moate man with some quick combos.
The second round saw more of the same as Ward landed a few strong punches but got caught too many times by the Cuban. This left Ward with too much to do in the final round, as the judges confirmed a 3-0 defeat against a top-class opponent.
Ward, who turns 20 next Wednesday, will be disappointed but can be proud of his bronze medal. He was gracious in defeat as he spoke to Egan afterwards.
Finally, here's what head coach Billy Walsh thought of the day, while below, coaches Eddie Bolger and Zaur Anita also spoke to Egan.
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