Tommy McCarthy (boxer)


Tommy McCarthy is an Irish former professional boxer who held the European cruiserweight title. As an amateur he won the silver medal for Northern Ireland in the light-heavyweight division at the [Boxing at the 2010 List of Commonwealth Boxing Council champions|Commonwealth Games – Light heavyweight|2010 Commonwealth Games] and a bronze medal for Ireland at the 2008 Youth World Championships.

Professional career

Following an amateur career which included winning a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the 2008 Youth World Championships, McCarthy made his professional boxing debut against Rolandas Cesna on 24 May 2014. He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout. McCarthy fought three more times in 2014 and won all three fights by stoppage: against Imantas Davidaitis on 21 June, against Dimitar Spaiyski on 4 October, and Martin Horak on 15 November.
McCarthy fought four more times in 2015. He first notched a sixth-round technical knockout of Jakub Wojcik on 20 February 2015. McCarthy next scored points victories against Courtney Fry on 1 August and Martin Szatmari on 5 December. His last of the year, against Vladimir Reznicek, came just a week after his victory over Szatmari. McCarthy won the fight by points.
McCarthy faced Jon-Lewis Dickinson on 28 May 2016, and won by unanimous decision. It was the first ten round bout of his career. McCarthy was next scheduled to face Matty Askin on 19 November 2016. He suffered the first loss of his professional career, as he lost by unanimous decision.
McCarthy rebounded from the first loss of his professional career with a first-round technical knockout of Peter Hegyes on 21 October 2017. McCarthy was then scheduled to face Blaise Mendouo on 18 November 2017. He won the fight on points.
McCarthy's sole fight of 2018 came against Kent Kauppinen on 17 November. He won the fight on points.
McCarthy was scheduled to face Jiri Svacina on 9 February 2019. He won the fight on points. McCarthy's four-fight winning streak earned McCarthy the chance to challenge the incumbent WBA Inter-continental Cruiserweight champion Richard Riakporhe on 2 March 2019. Riakporhe won the fight by a fourth-round technical knockout.
Following his loss to Riakporhe, McCarthy re-matched Jiri Svacina on 18 May 2019, and won by a third-round technical knockout. McCarthy was scheduled to face Francesco Cataldo on 11 July 2019 in Rome, which was his first fight outside of the British Isles. Cataldo retired from the fight at the end of the second round.
McCarthy was scheduled to fight the reigning WBC International cruiserweight champion Fabio Turchi on 11 October 2019. He won the fight by split decision.
McCarthy fought Bilal Laggoune for the European cruiserweight title on 31 October 2020. He won the fight by majority decision. McCarthy made the first defense of his European title against Alexandru Jur on 15 May 2021. He won the fight by a sixth-round knockout.
McCarthy was scheduled to fight Chris Billam-Smith on 31 July 2021. The fight was a defense of his European cruiserweight title, a challenge for Billam-Smith's Commonwealth title, and a fight for the vacant British cruiserweight title. The bout was set as the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card, which was broadcast by DAZN. McCarthy lost the fight by split decision, with scores of 116-112, 115-115 and 116-115. McCarthy expressed his surprise at the scorecards after the fight, stating: "“When I heard that score of 116-112 I just walked out of the ring in disgust... How could one of the judges have it eight rounds to four after a fight like that?". McCarthy was booked to face Billam-Smith in an immediate rematch on 16 April 2022. McCarthy lost the fight by an eight-round technical knockout.
McCarthy was stopped in the seventh-round by Michal Cieslak in a challenge to regain the European cruiserweight title in Poland on 4 November 2023.
On 27 January 2024, McCarthy was stopped in the fourth-round by Cheavon Clarke in a contest for the vacant WBA cruiserweight Intercontinental title at Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
He faced Steven Ward at the SSE Arena in Belfast on 1 March 2025, losing by stoppage in the sixth round. McCarthy announced his retirement from professional boxing a few days later.

Personal life

His cousin is the English musician Labrinth.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
28Loss21–7Steven WardPTS6 1 Mar 2025The SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
27Win21–6Ryan LabournPTS61 Nov 2024The SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
26Loss20–6Cheavon ClarkeTKO4, 1:2827 Jan 2024Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern IrelandFor vacant WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight title
25Loss20–5Michal CieslakTKO7, 1:054 Nov 2023Nosalowy Dwór, Zakopane, PolandFor European cruiserweight title
24Win20–4Reinis PorozovsPTS84 Sep 2022Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland
23Win19–4Pauls VilbergsTKO2, 0:4511 Jun 2022Tondi 17 Boxing Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
22Loss18–4Chris Billam-SmithTKO8, 1:2816 Apr 2022AO Arena, Manchester, EnglandFor European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles
21Loss18–3Chris Billam-SmithSD1231 Jul 2021Matchroom Headquarters, Brentwood, EnglandLost European cruiserweight title;
For Commonwealth and vacant British cruiserweight titles
20Win18–2Alexandru Jur6, 2:2015 May 2021AO Arena, Manchester, EnglandRetained European cruiserweight title
19Win17–2Bilal Laggoune1231 Oct 2020The SSE Arena, London, EnglandWon European cruiserweight title
18Win16–2Fabio Turchi1211 Oct 2019PalaTrento, Trento, ItalyWon WBC International cruiserweight title
17Win15–2Francesco Cataldo2 11 Jul 2019Stadio Nicola Pietrangeli, Rome, Italy
16Win14–2Jiri SvacinaTKO3, 2:0118 May 2019Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland
15Loss13–2Richard RiakporheTKO4, 2:452 Mar 2019East of England Arena, Peterborough, EnglandFor WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight title
14Win13–1Jiri SvacinaPTS89 Feb 2019Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
13Win12–1Kent KauppinenPTS617 Nov 2018Shorts Sports & Social Club, Belfast, Northern Ireland
12Win11–1Blaise MendouoPTS618 Nov 2017Odyssey Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland
11Win10–1Peter HegyesTKO1, 2:3321 Oct 2017Odyssey Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland
10Loss9–1Matty AskinUD1219 Nov 2016Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, England
9Win9–0Jon-Lewis Dickinson1028 May 2016OVO Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
8Win8–0Vladimir ReznicekPTS612 Dec 2015Hilton Hotel, Blackpool, England
7Win7–0Martin SzatmariPTS65 Dec 2015Westcroft Leisure Centre, Carshalton, England
6Win6–0Courtney Fry81 Aug 2015Marquee, Belfast, Northern Ireland
5Win5–0Jakub WojcikTKO6, 1:3020 Feb 2015Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
4Win4–0Martin HorakTKO2, 0:5915 Nov 20143Arena, Dublin, Ireland
3Win3–0Dimitar SpaiyskiTKO1, 1:074 Oct 2014Devenish Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2Win2–0Imantas DavidaitisTKO2, 2:2721 Jun 2014Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, England
1Win1–0Rolandas Cesna3, 0:4324 May 2014Dewsbury Leisure Centre, Dewsbury, England