Croke Park farewell

Katie Taylor ended her 30-year boxing career on Saturday night in Dublin, defeating France's Flora Pili by unanimous decision at Croke Park. The victory earned the 40-year-old fighter the vacant WBC super-lightweight belt, adding it to her WBA, IBF and WBO titles to become a three-time undisputed world champion. An attendance between 80,000 and 83,000 spectators filled the Gaelic Athletic Association headquarters, marking the first professional boxing event at the venue since Muhammad Ali defeated Al 'Blue' Lewis in 1972. Taylor controlled the 10-round contest from the opening bell, deploying superior hand speed and lateral movement against her previously unbeaten opponent.

“Croke Park! We did it. I don't know of any other country that would sell 80,000 tickets.”

Fight action and scorecards

Weighing in at 139.6 pounds compared to Pili's 139.9 pounds, Taylor set a fast pace in the early rounds, breaking through the Frenchwoman's guard with multi-punch combinations. Although Pili landed a clean right hand midway through the opening round, she struggled to match Taylor's work rate in the subsequent exchanges. In the final round, Taylor traded punches against the ropes before celebrating as the final bell sounded. Two judges scored the contest 100-90, while the third awarded Taylor a 98-91 decision, though earlier bulletins from BBC and The Guardian noted alternate tallies of 110-90.

Katie Taylor139.6

Flora Pili139.9

Katie Taylor

139.6 lbs

Flora Pili

139.9 lbs

Data from the article text

Ring ceremony and career record

Following the announcement of the decision, Taylor placed her boxing gloves in the center of the ring surrounded by her four championship belts to confirm her retirement. Taylor concluded her professional career with 26 victories and one defeat across two weight divisions. Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn joined her in the ring draped in an Irish tricolour to address the stadium before leaving her to celebrate with supporters. During her post-fight address, Taylor thanked her team and introduced her husband, Sean, publicly for the first time.

“Katie is the greatest inspiration I've ever met and the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time, she made this happen.”

Event card and career milestones

The event card featured musical performances by Irish pop group Westlife alongside video tributes on the stadium screen from figures including actor Andrew Scott and Olympic rower Fintan McCarthy. In the chief support bout, Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty fell through the ring ropes during the first round, resulting in a no-contest ruling. Taylor's career began when women were barred from amateur boxing in Ireland, requiring her to enter early contests under the name 'K Taylor'. She later claimed lightweight gold at London 2012 when women's boxing joined the Olympic program, turned professional in 2016 under manager Brian Peters, and headlined Madison Square Garden in 2022 before concluding her career in Dublin.

Tributes from Irish sport

Irish athletes across multiple sports published messages of recognition ahead of Taylor's final walkout. European 400m silver medallist Rhasidat Adeleke cited Taylor's discipline and resilience following their meeting in Texas after Taylor's bout with Amanda Serrano. Republic of Ireland women's football captain Katie McCabe praised Taylor's career conduct, while former rugby captain Fiona Coghlan and track athlete Kate O'Connor echoed tributes to Taylor's influence on Irish female athletics.