In a city rich with fighting spirit, super middleweight Thomas O’Toole is aiming to become Boston’s next sports legend and maybe the city’s fifth sports team, not unlike Marvin Hagler before him.
The undefeated 26-year-old Irishman, O’Toole (10-0, 7 KOs), will step into the ring this Friday night at the Boston Night Club against 39-year-old veteran Javier Francisco Maciel (34-22, 23 KOs) in an eight-round contest.
Mark DeLuca, O’Toole’s trainer, is confident in his fighter’s abilities and has been guiding him since his arrival in the United States.
“Thomas is the real deal,” DeLuca said. “Moved to the United States looking for better training and was directed to me. He’s been sparring with top guys like Hot Rod [Radivoje Kalajdzic], who just fought David Morrell. Thomas is technical, aggressive, and has the skill set to really make an impact.”
DeLuca, who knows the super middleweight division well from his own career, which included sparring sessions with Daniel Jacobs and Demetrius Andrade, believes O’Toole is close to breaking into the upper ranks—but with time.
“I’d like to see him get another year, maybe 18 months, of development,” DeLuca said. “By fight 17 or 18, he’ll be ready to test himself against the top dogs. Right now, it’s all about timing and giving him the proper buildup.”
DeLuca also emphasized that O’Toole is self-motivated; a trait he values in his fighters.
“He’s a disciplined kid,” DeLuca said. “Lives like a monk—no distractions, no partying, nothing. He’s fully locked in. I only work with fighters who show up ready to put in the work. Thomas is one of those guys.”
The super middleweight division is currently in flux, with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez holding three of the four belts but his future in the division uncertain. David Benavidez and David Morrell, meanwhile, have ventured into light heavyweight, leaving the landscape unpredictable for rising fighters like O’Toole.
“It’s all over the place right now,” DeLuca said. “Three or four years from now, who knows who’ll be at the top? We’re not looking that far ahead. For now, our focus is on Friday night.”
Outside the ring, O’Toole stays grounded by working part-time at a family-owned Irish restaurant in South Boston. Though he’s a full-time fighter, O’Toole remains true to his working-class roots, picking up shifts when he’s not in the gym.
“He just does like a couple shifts,” DeLuca said. “He lives out here with family, but he’s a full time boxer.”