Ditching the usual St. Paddy’s Day merriment in Cork for a brawl in Redwood City, California, Tommy “The Governor” Hyde is gearing up to throw hands 5,000 miles from home. This undefeated super middleweight hotshot (7-0, 4 KOs) is eyeing his first pro title, squaring off against Craig “BTL” McCarthy (10-1-1, 2 KOs), the current holder of the Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic super middleweight belt. They’re set to tussle over the vacant Celtic Nation Championship in an eight-rounder, courtesy of Westwood Promotions.
Now honing his craft in Santa Monica under the watchful eye of Pedro Nemes, Hyde, aged 24 and fresh off being crowned the 2023 Irish Prospect of the Year, is buzzing about his upcoming scrap. “Fighting in San Francisco on St. Patrick’s Weekend is a bit of craic,” Hyde quipped. “It’s a home away from home, what with the Irish crowd and all. I’ve duked it out here in my amateur days and I’m itching to make more professional memories in the city. This bout’s a grand chance to strut my stuff for the Irish community.”
Before turning pro, Hyde was quite the dab hand in the amateur ranks, notching up over 100 fights, a stint in the World Junior Championships quarterfinals back in 2015, a trio of Irish National Championships, three Celtic Cup victories, and the 2019 Haringey Box Cup.
Hyde debuted in the pro ring on December 1, 2022, sending Jiri Kroda packing in the third round in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. With his debut year behind him, Hyde’s been on a fast track, courtesy of his old man and boxing matchmaker, Gary Hyde. Tommy’s thrown leather three times in Greater Boston, twice back home in Cork, and once in Waterford.
Gary’s chuffed to bits about his lad fighting in San Francisco, especially over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. “The Irish are going to flock to see Tommy and Craig go at it. We’ve got big plans for Tommy this year, aiming for five or six fights to climb those rankings, splitting his time between the States and back home. Tommy’s a magnet for the crowds, no matter where he fights.”