Pat McCormack on the brink of World Championship qualification

Victory tonight in the Ukraine in his round-of-16 bout against Adolphe Sylva will put him into quarter-finals of the European Championship.

The last eight in each division qualify for the worlds later this year and it would be a major shock should the 22-year-old slip up against the Swede this evening in Kharkiv.

McCormack looked in supreme touch on Saturday as he made it through his preliminary welterweight bout with ease against Saimonas Banys.

Pat was awarded a unanimous decision against the very spirited, but outclassed, Lithuanian over three one-sided rounds in Kharkiv.

Boxing the day after his brother registered an impressive U64 kilos victory over home fighter Mger Organisian, Pat was untouchable in the round-of-32 contest in the U69 kilo section.

The Washington talent, unbeaten this season since his step up from light-welter to welter, exuded all the confidence of a boxer at the height of his powers.

Holding a significant height and reach advantage, Pat began steadily before exploding into life with a four-punch combination midway through the first.

He used his quick feet and hands to step in and score before moving out of Banys’s range with the Baltic boxer barely landing a glove on the GB boxer.

That slick movement from McCormack was a joy to watch and for all Banys came forward, it was the boxer in all red driving a straight right hand repeatedly into the southpaw’s head.

Banys, realising the contest was slipping past him ploughed forward with spirit but the speed and reflexes from the Birtley ABC were on a different plane.

McCormack dominated all the way to the final bell to leave the decision of the judges a formality.

Coaches Dave Allaway and Lee Pullen looked happy with the display from Pat, who meets Sylva tonight, the Swede having defeated Croatia’s Marko Zeljko on points.