Michaela Walsh began her World Boxing Championship campaign in Liverpool with a stoppage win, but Louis Rooney exited on a split decision.
It is the first time Ireland have competed at the World Boxing competition after joining the new body in May.
Two-time Olympian Walsh was in fine form against Saudi Arabia’s Hadeel Ashbour in their last 32 featherweight bout, forcing the referee to wave the action off after 2:29 of the opening round.
The Belfast woman will now face Shih-Yi Wu in the last 16 on Sunday evening following the Taipei fighter’s unanimous decision win against Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic.
However, there was disappointment for Belfast flyweight Rooney who was edged out on a 3-2 split decision against Jordan’s Huthaifa Eshish in their last 32 bout.
It was a close contest with Eshish edging the opening round on three of the five cards and it was the same in the second, but not by the same judges which left him clear on two and Rooney clear on one, leaving two cards tied.
Rooney upped the pace in the third, needing to earn the nod on both of the tied cards to prevail, but managed just one as he exited.
Earlier on Friday, Olympian Grainne Walsh sailed through her 65kg opener with a unanimous decision win against Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelova to set up a meeting with Spain’s Mariana Soto Torres on Monday.
However, Gavin Rafferty lost his middleweight bout against Saidjamshid Jafarov 5-0.
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