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Katie Taylor Retires as Undisputed Champion in Croke Park Farewell
Confirmed
In Short: Katie Taylor, Ireland's greatest sportsperson, retired from boxing with a win over Flora Pili at Croke Park, bringing top-level women's boxing back to the iconic venue.
Katie Taylor, Ireland's greatest sportsperson, retired from boxing with a win over Flora Pili at Croke Park, bringing top-level women's boxing back to the iconic venue. The event was a celebration of her career, with Westlife performing and the crowd joining in with chants and phone lights.
Promoter Eddie Hearn paid tribute to Taylor, calling her 'Ireland's greatest sportsperson', before she took one final lap of the ring, waving to the crowd before ceremonially placing her gloves and belts in the centre of the canvas. Taylor, an Olympic champion and two-weight world champion, ended her career with a Unanimous Decision victory over the French contender.
Chants of 'Ole, Ole, Ole' drowned out Pili's ringwalk music before Taylor finally emerged to 'All Hail King Jesus', a nod to the faith she has spoken so openly about throughout her career. The 40-year-old retained her WBA, IBF, and WBO super-lightweight belts to become the undisputed champion for a third time, finishing her professional career with 26 victories and one defeat.
After the fight, Taylor thanked her family, including her father, who taught her 'how to fight', and hugged her tearful mother. The event marked a historic return to Croke Park for top-level women's boxing, last seen when Muhammad Ali defeated Al 'Blue' Lewis in 1972.
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- But she had never faced anyone remotely close to Taylor's level and the gulf in class soon began to show.
- With the footwork, speed and sharp pressure fighting that defined her career, Taylor produced one final stylish performance against the overmatched Frenchwoman to win by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91.
- Taylor started well, moving like her amateur days and scoring just enough to claim the first round.
- Taylor, of course, did enough to win on the scorecards and was showered in applause as she called time on the greatest career in women’s boxing history.
- Women’s boxing’s greatest ever fighter finally hung up her gloves tonight in front of 83,000 home fans at Croke Park.
- Katie Taylor welcomed little-known challenger Flora Pili to the iconic stadium for a night many in the sport never felt possible.
- At the end of the day, the contest in and of itself was little more than an exhibition of Taylor’s far-superior skills.
- Boxing great Katie Taylor has signed off on a glorious, title-laden career that blazed the trail for women’s boxing in her native Ireland and around the world with a win over France’s Flora Pili in Dublin.