Ireland’s boxing great Katie Taylor bows out as undisputed champion

What the report says

Katie Taylor ended her professional boxing career in Dublin on Saturday with a unanimous points victory over France’s Flora Pili, closing out a decorated run in front of a sold-out crowd at Croke Park. Al Jazeera reported that the 40-year-old retained her WBA, IBF and WBO super-lightweight belts and also claimed the vacant WBC title, making her undisputed champion for a third time.

The fight drew an estimated 80,000 fans and featured the sort of farewell atmosphere often reserved for major sporting milestones, with chants, fireworks and a strong emotional send-off for the Irish boxer. Pili, who entered the bout unbeaten, pushed Taylor in the middle rounds, but Taylor regained control and finished the contest strongly. After the final bell, she embraced her opponent and was later joined by family, including her father and mother.

Taylor’s career has been widely viewed as important to the growth of women’s boxing in Ireland. Al Jazeera noted that she began boxing when girls were not allowed in amateur competition in the country and later became an Olympic lightweight gold medallist at London 2012, before turning professional. She finishes with 26 wins and one defeat, and her final bout also returned elite boxing to Croke Park for the first time since 1972.