Rebel Rousing – Roy Keane sends Tommy Hyde pre debut message

One of Cork’s greatest has rowed in behind fellow county man looking to make a name for himself in the world of sport.

Former Ireland football captain Roy Keane sent young fight prospect Tommy Hyde a good luck message ahead of the light heavyweight’s debut next week.

In quite fitting old school fashion, the Manchester United legend sent Hyde a card with a good message, wishing the fighter ‘all the best’ ahead of his ‘big night.’

That ‘big night’ is Hyde’s pro debut. The popular Cork fighter turns over under his father’s Nowhere2Hyde banner and jumps straight into the spotlight, topping the first pro bill to come south since 2019.

The three-time Irish champion debut’s as the main attraction on ‘The Begining’ card at the Parochial Hall in Gurranabraher.

The bill, which also hots fights for Danny Keating, Kevin Cronin, Jamie Morrissey and more sold out within a week of tickets going on sale, suggesting very strong support for the former St Michaels amateur. That support may just be as strong in influence as it is in size considering he can count Keane as a fan.

It’s not the first time Keane has reached out to a boxer. The now Sky Sports pundit called a fellow Irish sporting great to offer support at the lowest point of her career.

While Katie Taylor is currently on top of the world both figuratively and literally, post Rio 2016 she was quite down.

Indeed, the undisputed lightweight champion has highlighted that period as the worst in her career and still laments a medal she feels got away.

During that time she did receive a pick me up as one of her heroes got in touch.

Taylor notes how a call from Keane made ‘her heart so happy’ and reveals the man noted for his abrasive approach and a glare that could rattle the knees of a charging Rhino has a “great heart”.

“When I lost in the Rio Olympics, the first phone call I got was actually from Roy Keane,” said Taylor previously.

“He said, ‘keep your head up’. He was very, very positive and that really does make my heart so happy,” the reigning WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine lightweight world champion added.