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Katie Taylor ended her professional boxing career by beating France's Flora Pili on points before 82,000 people at Croke Park. The 40-year-old retired as three-time undisputed champion after a unanimous decision with scores of 100-90 twice and 98-91.
Katie Taylor retired as three-time undisputed champion after beating France's Flora Pili on points in front of 82,000 people at Croke Park. The 40-year-old earned a unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the fight 100-90 and the third 98-91.
The attendance was the largest ever recorded for a women's sporting event in Ireland. Pili, 11 years younger and unbeaten in 12 professional fights, applauded the decision. The bout was for Taylor's WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine super-lightweight titles, with the vacant WBC belt also at stake. Bookmakers made Taylor a short-priced favourite, and there was no upset.
Taylor's only previous professional defeat had come against Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena three years ago. The first boxing headliner at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali in 1972 was part contest, part celebration. Taylor had been tearful all week. After the final bell she seized the microphone, thanked everyone involved in a career that transformed boxing in the amateur and professional ranks, and introduced her husband, Sean, publicly for the first time.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, draped in an Irish tricolour, serenaded Taylor from centre ring and invited her to leave her gloves in the middle of the canvas. She took a poignant final lap, soaked in one last Ole Ole, and left her gloves behind. In the ring, Taylor showed hand speed that belied her 40 years, footwork that belied the condition of her right calf, and composure that belied the magnitude of the occasion.
Pili landed a thudding right hand midway through the opening round, but Taylor quickly took control on the front foot. The crowd broke into There's only one Katie Taylor and The Fields of Athenry as Taylor bossed round two and moved 2-0 up. Taylor peppered Pili with jabs and one-twos in the third, but Pili finished the round strongly and caught Taylor with a couple of solid shots.
Taylor reclaimed the momentum in the fourth with several one-two combinations and led almost certainly 4-0 after four. Pili came on strong to start the fifth, but Taylor moved out of range and continued to land from the back foot. From round six the bout took on a testimonial feel and began to seem like an exhibition of boxing rather than a competitive title fight.
It was not an exhibition fight, but an exhibition of boxing by a great fighter against a good one. Taylor landed three-punch combinations and repeatedly beat Pili to the punch in the seventh, while the crowd sang along to the Venga Boys between rounds. By round eight only six minutes of a 30-year journey through boxing remained, and chants of The Fields filled Croke Park again.
The ninth brought more chants of Katie, Katie before the crowd stood for the tenth and final round. Taylor was never seriously hurt, and in the final 10 seconds she threw with abandon, inviting Pili to trade. The arena roared as she punched out of work for the last time. A packed undercard of Irish boxing talent made it a showcase for the sport, but the night belonged to Taylor.
Fans described her as both a feminist icon and a female sporting icon, and supporters travelled from different counties to salute a career that changed boxing. Among those at the stadium were Aoife Murray, Eilis Keegan and Sarah O'Shea from Athboy, Co Meath. Amanda Dunne, Stephen Finney, Conor Heslin, Laura Sheridan and Christopher Bowe were in Dublin before the fight, while Jordan Conroy, Sue Bursey, Carlie Tracey and PJ Conroy were at Croke Park.
Singer Roisin O, due to be married next week, had taken time from her wedding preparations; the invitation to sing the national anthem came only late last month. Aoife Scott said the experience was overwhelming: 'It's absolutely mental. It's very surreal. I was in the ring last night rehearsing.
We had a rehearsal this morning to settle the nerves.
' Becca Clarke from Bagnelstown, Co Carlow, who does women's advocacy work with Ruth Coppinger and other TDs, called Taylor a massive inspiration for women. Clarke said: 'What she has done for women in general, not just women in sport, is amazing. Is there any other female athlete in the world who could pack out a place as big as this? She's phenomenal.
' Clarke also noticed the mix of men and women in the crowd. 'We were coming up on the bus today and it was packed with women and men. How many men follow female athletes around the world?
' Laura Sheridan from Cavan said being at Taylor's final fight was something to tell grandchildren about. 'She is the greatest Irish sports person, she should have been celebrated long before this event. We'll never get a woman like Katie Taylor again.
' Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, who scored Real Betis's winner against Real Madrid on Friday night, posted a video tribute before the fight. 'We're training tomorrow because we have another game on Tuesday, but if we weren't then I would have tried to get home for it. It's going to be a great show.
' Parrott described himself as a very big fan of Taylor. 'What she's done for Irish sport in general has been something that someone can only dream of. ' He added: 'This is about a young girl who walked into a boxing club being told that girls are not allowed to box. She broke those barriers.
She is the reason that there are so many young girls into boxing because she walked that path. She resonates with every single generation from this country.
' Taylor's final night was a landmark for women's sport in Ireland. She earned a send-off few boxers have received, with 80,000-plus people serenading an Irish sporting icon. The greatest female boxer of them all left her gloves in the ring, out of the ring and into history.
IrishTimes 
The42_ie:Watch: Emotional scenes as Katie Taylor savours final moments in ring at Croke ParkThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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