Katie Taylor’s illustrious boxing career reaches its conclusion on Saturday night at her “dream venue,” driven by a single, resolute message: “Let’s go one more time.”
Taylor aims to retire as a three-time undisputed world champion when she faces unbeaten Frenchwoman Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans at Croke Park in Dublin.
The 40-year-old, who weighed in at 139.6lbs for the super-lightweight bout compared to Pili’s 139.9lbs, has done it all in boxing.
Her accolades include winning Olympic gold in London in 2012 and, alongside Amanda Serrano, becoming the first woman to headline a fight card at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden. She also avenged her sole professional defeat against Chantelle Cameron.
However, she has never fought at Croke Park before—until now.
Pili (right) has a 12-0 record as a pro
‘This is what I was born for, this is what I was made for’
While fight week has rightly seen the boxing elite and beyond praise Taylor’s career, hail her as an inspiration, and discuss the legacy she will leave, the fighter herself is focused solely on Pili.
Speaking shortly after stepping on the scales on Friday evening, the Bray Bomber stated, “My mind is focused on the fight. I have a job to do against a very tough challenger. I have built my reputation on always taking the tough fights, so why treat my last fight any differently? This is what I was born for, this is what I was made for. Let’s go one more time.”
Taylor also took the opportunity to address her fans at the weigh-in, many of whom will be cheering for her inside the stadium this weekend. “I am blown away. I want to put on a performance worthy of the support I have had these last years. You guys have carried me throughout the Olympics and my whole career. Thank you so much. I am so grateful. I am so excited. I have been dreaming about this for the last few years and I am one day away from ending my career in a dream venue in front of all these amazing people.”
Katie Taylor has only lost once as a pro, a defeat to Chantelle Cameron that she went on to avenge
‘Katie is an absolute hero to so many people’
Former world champion Carl Frampton, speaking on DAZN, believes the lure of a bout at Croke Park prolonged Taylor’s time as an active fighter. “She has completed the sport but I think one of the reasons she held on was the dream of fighting at Croke Park. She has finally got it. Katie is an absolute hero to so many people, an inspiration. It is a perfect way to finish—but she has to win first, and we can’t rule out Pili, who is a very good fighter.”
But is it definitely over for Taylor, or is a return to the ring possible?
Three-weight world champion Mikaela Mayer added, “Katie has always been very true to her word. If she says this is her last fight, I believe it to be. If she wants to come back, I would not be upset about it. We’d love to see her again. I am benefitting off of her hard work and everything she has helped create for the women in this sport. I am sad, as I had always hoped to share the ring with Katie.”
