Irish boxing star Katie Taylor is set to make her final professional ring walk on Saturday evening at Dublin's Croke Park, facing undefeated French challenger Flora Pili in front of a sold-out crowd of over 80,000 spectators. The bout marks the farewell of one of Ireland's most decorated athletes and represents the first boxing event held at the stadium since Muhammad Ali fought Al "Blue" Lewis in 1972.
The 40-year-old Bray native, who holds a professional record of 25 wins and one loss, is defending her WBA, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine super-lightweight titles while competing for the vacant WBC crown. Victory over Pili would elevate Taylor to a three-time undisputed world champion, adding to her previous achievements across lightweight and super-lightweight divisions.
Pili, a 29-year-old unbeaten French champion with a 12-0 professional record, enters the contest following a series of victories in Europe. Both fighters successfully made weight on Friday during a public weigh-in at Trinity College Dublin, with Taylor coming in at 139.6 pounds and Pili at 139.9 pounds.
Speaking ahead of the contest, Taylor described headline fighting at Croke Park as a long-cherished ambition and expressed gratitude for the widespread national support. Stadium tickets for the event sold out within 30 minutes of going on general sale in June.
The full fight card is being broadcast globally on the streaming platform DAZN, with free-to-air coverage provided in Ireland by RTÉ2. Main event ring walks are scheduled to take place at approximately 10:00 p.m. local time.
Discussion
Sign in with Google to comment