AND THE NEW – Tommy Hyde beats brave Craig McCarthy to claim first career title
Tommy Hyde put in a monsterous performance to win a battle of Munster as far away as San Francisco on Saturday night.
Hyde claimed a first career title by dethroning BUI Celtic champion Craig McCarthy on St Patrick’s weekend.
The Cork super middleweight stopped the Waterford man 30 seconds into the fifth round and proceeded to buckle the pretty strap around his waist.
Fighting in his first bout of just his second year as a pro, ‘The Guvenor’ looked the boss from early on. McCarthy was game, brave, and did have patches of success but his younger rival looked physically imposing, punched with real authority, and always looked capable of dishing out some pain.
The NoWhere2Hyde operator was also patient and showed real poise as he methodically went about his business.
The Rebel County man dropped the Deise fighter in the second and seemed to hurt him at the end of each of the following stanzas before the fifth-round stoppage.
The fact McCarthy rose to his feet after the last knockdown and was pleading to continue sums up his approach throughout but it appeared a good call by David Irvine.
Hyde now collects the BUI Celtic title becoming only the fourth champion at the weight, following in the footsteps of Padraig McCrory, Jamie Morrissey and McCarthy.
We have a title fight!
— Irish-Boxing.com (@Irishboxingcom) March 15, 2024
Anyone ready to predict Craig McCarthy versus Tommy Hyde?
Both in great shape. pic.twitter.com/3E53rie70L
The first round was a real contrast in styles and approaches. McCarthy rushed in with combinations, was full of movement and threw looping in shots from range, while Hyde kept it textbook with straight one-twos from an upright stance.
Both had success but clean right hands from the Cork man probably secured him the round.
The second started in a similar fashion but Hyde was now making McCarthy fall short and punishing him with quick counterrights. One such shot sent the Deise super middle to the canvas, although there was an element of the champion being off balance and he was straight back to his feet.
Another brilliantly timed right at the death seemed to hurt the title holder again – but when Hyde looked to go for the kill, McCarthy came back firing and finished the round letting his hands go.
The NoWhere2Hyde fighter moved up a gear in the third and was pushing the then holder back to the ropes. The Waterford side of the fight always looked to reply but was on the back foot.
Again the physically imposing Hyde looked to have McCarthy hurt with a right hand at the end of the stanza but Built2Last lived up to his ring moniker and came out firing in the fourth.
‘The Guvnor’ then tacked on a left hook to his one-two and seriously checked the stability of the 36-year-old champion’s legs and it was a sign of things to come.
He landed clean early in the fifth and put his fellow Munster man on the seat of his pants for a second time in the fight.
The brave and game McCarthy rose to his feet but referee David Irvine deemed he had enough and waved the fight off.
