Tommy Coyle (boxer)

Professional career

Coyle made his professional debut on 18 September 2009, winning a six-round points decision against Kristian Laight. After winning his first 13 fights, he lost a three-round unanimous decision to Gary Sykes in the quarter-finals of the Prizefighter lightweight tournament on 6 October 2012. His second professional defeat came on 13 July 2013, when Derry Mathews stopped him in the tenth round in a fight for the Commonwealth lightweight title. Two of Coyle's best wins occurred in 2014: a last-round stoppage over Daniel Brizuela on 22 February, which was named a Fight of the Year candidate by ESPN and Round of the Year by The Ring magazine, followed by a two-round knockout of Michael Katsidis on 25 October.

These victories set up a fight with fellow Hull native and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell on 1 August 2015; Coyle was stopped in the tenth round after being knocked down four times. Moving up to light-welterweight, he scored a points decision over Reynaldo Mora and then challenged British champion Tyrone Nurse, losing a closely contested unanimous decision despite knocking Nurse down in the seventh round. On 21 April 2018, Coyle stopped Sean Dodd in the sixth round to win the Commonwealth lightweight title.

On 1 June 2019, he fought Chris Algieri on the Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr undercard; after an entertaining first half, Algieri battered Coyle in the eighth round, prompting Coyle's corner to pull him from the fight. Coyle announced his retirement from professional boxing in January 2020.