Tommy “The Governor” Hyde and Thomas “The Kid” O’Toole, two young, undefeated Irish light heavyweights and one-time amateur rivals back in the Ireland, highlight a Granite Chin Promotions (GCP) outdoor card at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Aug. 11.
Although Hyde [5-0, 3 KOs] and O’Toole [7-0, 5 KOs] will be fighting in separate six-rounders, this could be a prelude to a showdown between the two towering prospects [the former stands 6-feet-four, the latter is 6-3]. They fought twice as amateurs with each winning once. The feeling is that they could meet again -- this time in the pros.
While Hyde’s opponent has yet to be determined, O’Toole will move up a weight division to fight Massachusetts state champion Scott “Scottie Bombs” Lampert [5-8, 4 KOs] for the vacant United States Boxing Federation [USBF] cruiserweight title.
A southpaw, O’Toole lives in Braintree, Mass., not far from Quincy. Six of the Galway product’s seven pro fights bout have been held in Greater Boston, the lone exception being one fight in Manchester, New Hampshire.
“Fighting outdoors does make a difference, especially if it’s hot and humid,” said O’Toole. “I couldn’t prepare for fighting outdoors here in the summer if I was training in Ireland. We don’t have hot and humid weather there. I’ve been training here in this weather. It’s amazing how the weather can zap your strength. It did have an effect on me when I fought in Boston outdoors as an amateur.”
O’Toole, who’s 25, was a celebrated amateur who captured top honors in the Haringey Box Cup and an Irish final, in which he decisioned Hyde. “The Kid” won 51 of his 60 amateur bouts.
On a possible encounter with Hyde in the paid ranks, O’Toole said: “Tommy and I have gone our separate ways as pros, but our paths may grow down the line. We haven’t seen much of each other when we fought on the same card here. He is coming on very well in the pro ranks.
“He has a good man behind him in his father, Gary, and I think Tommy can go far. He’s said that a fight between us can easily be made if it makes sense. I agree. We both have big fan bases. This is going to be an amazing, fun night.”
“THE GOVERNOR”
Out of Cork, Hyde, who’s 24, is a three-time Irish National Champion who had an 80-26 amateur record. His father, Gary Hyde, is an international matchmaker who has represented numerous world champions.
“I am delighted to be fighting in Boston again,” Hyde said. “It’s like a second home now. I have a lot of family and friends living there and they all show me great support when I’m fighting there. It’s a big boxing city and it’s great to be following in the footsteps of Steve Collins and Kevin McBride who I really admire.
“I fought all over the world as an amateur in 2019. I fought outdoors in a multi-national tournament in Odessa, Ukraine. It was a really good experience, so I’m really looking forward to fighting outdoors in a Boston stadium.
Regarding a future ring encounter with O’Toole, Hyde said: “This will be the second show we shared since we’ve been pros and it probably won’t be the last. A fight between us could be big down the line in Boston or Ireland. He’s an Irishman like me, so I’ll be supporting him until we fight just like any other Irish boxer.”
Chris Traietti, Granite Chin Promotions president, said his Aug. 11 show, dubbed “Veterans Stadium Showcase,” couldn’t be complete without “some Irish flair to it.”
“With that said, I didn’t want just any Irish fighters on the show. I wanted two of the hottest prospects. Working with both guys has been a pleasure. Their teams have been great. Their fan-bases are in for a treat come August 11th.”
He noted that Hyde and O’Toole have both built solid fan-bases of Irish natives who now live in the United States, as well as Irish American boxing fans, just like their predecessors from the Emerald Isle, world champion Steve Collins and Mike Tyson-conqueror Kevin McBride.
Tickets for the Aug. 11 “Veterans Stadium Showcase,” are on sale and available for purchase online at www.EventBrite.com.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Traietti at chris@granite-chin-promotions.com for details.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET with the amateur matches starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. The pro card commences at 8 p.m.
