Aidan Walsh was roared on by his sister Michaela as he powered into an Olympic medal fight in Tokyo.
Walsh, 23, has a real shot at winning at least the bronze for Ireland as he will face Merven Clair in Friday's quarter-final, after the Mauritian beat fourth seed Zeyad Ishaish from Jordan on a split decision.
Illegal punches by Walsh's opponent Albert Mengue from Cameroon in the first and third rounds helped the Belfast welterweight on his way to a unanimous victory, but even without those Walsh impressed.
And he was delighted to have his biggest fan, Michaela, urging him on after her defeat yesterday.
"Of course I could hear Michaela shouting from the stand," he grinned. "Of course I did, if she was in Belfast you would hear her!
"She calmed down a wee bit. Maybe she had been told off and told not to be screaming as much. But I love it and it’s great support.
"It’s funny, once you’re in the ring you’re focusing on those four corners.
"Obviously when there’s fans there you can hear Michaela over any fans, it doesn’t really matter. It’s one of them things, you just have to deal with it.
"You’d always hear the coaches in the corner, regardless, even if it was a massive stadium filled, you’d always hear your coaches. When the fans come back it’ll be great but for now this is great, too.
"It's always good to win. You always come here to win - when you do, it is incredible.
"But it's now onto the next one. I think he was deducted a point in the first round for hitting on the back of the head.
"But I was taking each moment as it comes and listening to the instructions.
"It was one of those fights no matter whether you are up or down you cannot rest on your laurels you just have to stay focussed and always stay composed and take each moment of the fight as it comes."
