Katie Taylor retired from boxing on a comfortable victory on Saturday, as she eased past Flora Pili while realising her dream of fighting at Croke Park.
In front of a sold-out crowd of more than 80,000 in Dublin, the Irish icon secured scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91, handing Pili her first professional defeat. With that, Taylor regained the undisputed super-lightweight titles, making her a three-time undisputed queen – across two weights.
At 40 years old, and having already declared that this would be her final fight, Taylor still looked light on her feet and fast with her offence. Barring a brief rally from Pili, 29, in the later rounds, Taylor always looked comfortable, as she picked up the vacant WBC super-lightweight belt, adding it to her IBF, WBA and WBO titles. She also took the IBO strap from her French opponent.
It was a fitting ending for Taylor, who had to pretend to be a boy when she first boxed, before she went on to play a pivotal role in the introduction of women’s boxing at the Olympics – where she eventually won gold. Re-live the action from Taylor vs Pili below.
Read MoreKatie Taylor eases to victory in final fight – stamping her mark as boxing’s greatest female fighter
Forget McIlroy, forget Keane: Katie Taylor is Ireland’s greatest athlete and it’s not even close
Why Katie Taylor’s final fight at Croke Park is not about what happens in the ring
Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili LIVE
- Katie Taylor retires with victory over Flora Pili at Croke Park
- Taylor wins comfortably on points to hand Pili her first loss
- Irish icon realises dream of fighting at legendary Dublin stadium
- Victory sees Taylor, 40, become three-time undisputed champion
- Win also sees her legacy as boxing’s greatest female fighter
More from Hearn as he pays tribute
00:00 , Alex Pattle“[Katie] is a woman who refused to take ‘no’ for an answer. She worked her whole life and walked with faith, she’s the most inspirational person I’ve ever met. She’s the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn reacts
23:45 , Alex Pattle“We went into this event, and I said... I’m a promoter, right; I said, ‘This will be the greatest atmopshere and occasion that boxing has perhaps ever seen.’
“Well, guess what? Croke park, you did it tonight.”
The end
23:30 , Alex PattleIt's really over
23:21 , Alex Pattle
Taylor speaks
23:13 , Alex Pattle
Taylor's rare mention of her husband
23:06 , Alex PattleOf her husband, Taylor says: “I’m actually looking forward to retirement.
“I love you, babe, you’re the best.”
He gives her a kiss.
And finally: “Most importantly, I just wanna give thanks to God for putting this gift in me as a child – giving me the talent, giving me the strength to achieve it.”
Taylor's moment on the mic
22:58 , Alex PattleTaylor also thanks her dad and her sisters.
“It’s been such a tough year for the family,” she adds, referencing a death in the family.
I’m not sure exactly who she’s referring, too, I’m afraid; she’s speeding through this bit, but she does say: “She loved fight night, it’s not the same without her.”
Taylor also lost her grandmother recently: “She was one of the greatest people we’ve ever met. I know she’s looking down from on high.”
Taylor pays tribute to her family
22:52 , Alex Pattle“There’s nothing like an Irish mammy,” Taylor says. “You’ve been more than that, you’ve been a source of strength, a source of wisdom.”
Taylor speaks so well, it must be said.
More from Taylor
22:49 , Alex Pattle“She was actually a very awkward opponent. Thank you very much to her for being involved in this night.
“A few thank you’s: a thank you to my team, and Eddie Hearn and the Matchroom team.
“It’s crazy to think when there’s money involved, they always have my best interests at heart. They’re more in it for me than them.”
Taylor speaks on victory
22:47 , Alex PattleTaylor: “Croke Park, we did it. We brought boxing back to Croke Park.”
Indeed, for the first time since Muhammad Ali fought here!
“Every one of you here, I had you with me before London 2012. You’se were with me through the heartbreak of Rio, when I turned pro, you travelled...
“You travelled the world to watch me – Manchester, Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan. Now you’se are here, this is an amazing stadium.
“I don’t know any other country that could sell out 80,000 tickets for a female athlete. I’m convinced that Ireland’s the only country.
“Let me just look around for a second.”
Undisputed yet again
22:46 , Alex PattleTaylor is a three-time undisputed queen across two weights!
TAYLOR WINS
22:43 , Alex PattleKatie Taylor def. Flora Pili via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 98-91)
Easy for Taylor. Easy. She still has it.
Taylor and Pili brawl to end fight
22:39 , Alex PattleRound 10
The noise is immense as Taylor begins the final round of her career – the final two minutes.
More rapid flurries from the Olympic hero. She’s trying to box on the front foot.
She slips a jab and a cross, then comes back with two of her own shots at close range.
Some of the crowd are roaring her on; others are singing “ole”! The “ole”s takes over before long.
Taylor lands to the body then misses upstairs. She brawls to the bell in a wild ending!
The final bell sounds, signalling the END of Taylor’s extraordinary career.
Taylor on verge of victory
22:36 , Alex PattleRound nine
The Dublin crowd shout upon the bell that signals the start of this round. They’re trying to re-energise Taylor, who is surely ahead by five rounds or so, but who is just flagging a tiny bit.
Emphasis on ‘tiny bit’. She’s still looking pretty fast, she’s still picking her punches wisely.
Taylor lands a left hook in the middle of a combination. Now she lands a cross to the body and another left hook up top.
A strong round from Taylor. One to go!
A close round as the final bell edges nearer
22:33 , Alex PattleRound eight
Three rounds to go.
Pili corners Taylor, who stoops and sways to get her head off the centre line.
Still Pili lands in a promising moment for her. But it’s Taylor’s turn next, as the home favourite lands another four-punch blitz.
Taylor ties up Pili a few times now. Does Taylor just want a bit of a breather? Pili is coming forward almost constantly at this point, yet Taylor continues to land some decent counters.
Another Pili round, maybe? Close.
Pili's best round
22:30 , Alex PattleRound seven
The referee warns Taylor for leading with her head (a bad habit from throughout her career, in fairness), but Taylor soon gets back to letting her hands go.
That was the advice from her corner before this round: more combinations.
But Pili has a good spell now, too! The crowd are on their feet.
Pili with a nice uppercut at close range.
A much-better round from Pili, but she’ll need to sustain this until the final bell if she’s to have any chance of a result here.
Taylor putting combinations together
22:28 , Alex PattleRound six
Into the second half of this fight.
Taylor is still so light on her feet – she could box on after tonight, at a good level, no doubt.
Another rapid combination from the Irish star, a four-punch salvo. And another: three straights and a hook. The crowd is loving this.
Lots of feints from Taylor, who is still making reads.
Taylor halfway there
22:24 , Alex PattleRound five
Taylor has Pili missing again – even with some strange hammer fists! Is the French boxer frustrated? Almost certainly.
Taylor pops the jab, then adds a couple of straights, as Pili edges forward.
A slower spell now, with not much happening... until Pili walks onto a blunt, straight shot.
Pili blocks an overhand, but she’s grazed by a jab. Then she eats a one-two as the clapper sounds.
Taylor countering nicely
22:21 , Alex PattleRound four
Pili is trying to maintain that forward movement from the last round, in which she looked a bit better.
Taylor with decent counters, though. Now she lands a pair of hooks – right then left – which test Pili’s guard and stumble the Frenchwoman slightly.
A blocked overhand from Taylor, but she leans back to avoid the counter effort.
Pili finally coming forward
22:18 , Alex PattleRound three
Pili shuffles about, looking much less fleet-footed than Taylor.
Taylor throws a clubbing right hook, but Pili’s guard stands up to it. The Frenchwoman blocks a jab, too.
Now she edges forward, with Taylor on the back foot for once.
Taylor with jabs and straights, trying to deter the tourist.
A messy exchange ensues, with Taylor tying up Pili again to neutralise her.
Taylor 2-0 Pili?
22:16 , Alex Pattle
Taylor comfortable so far
22:15 , Alex PattleRound two
Taylor gets on the front foot at once.
Pili is struggling to find her range with the jab. She’s tagged with a stern one from Taylor.
Now Taylor goes from head to body with hooks, before tying up Pili. She evades a shot on the break, too.
“Katie” is the chant from the crowd.
Another quickfire combination from Taylor, with Pili trapped against the ropes, elicits cheers from the Dublin crowd.
Taylor vs Pili begins!
22:12 , Alex PattleRound one
Ten two-minute rounds scheduled. They will fly by; they always do.
Taylor stands orthodox, as does Pili. The first bell is greeted by a huge roar.
Taylor presses forward and throws a pawing left hook, with Pili cornered. Even at 40, Taylor is still so fast.
She lands a hook, as Pili appears to land a grazing cross. A left hook from Taylor, then a cross to the body.
Another flurry, and the crowd loves that. Round one to Taylor.
HERE WE GO!
22:07 , Alex PattleDiamante might have broken his voice box, with how much he put into Taylor’s introduction!
HERE, WE, GO!
Barry Hearn looks on in tears?
22:04 , Alex PattleLongtime promoter Barry Hearn, father of Taylor’s promoter Eddie, looks like he’s got tears in his eyes.
He applauds the Irish icon from the front row.
MC David Diamante has the fighter introductions now.
Taylor taking it all in
22:00 , Alex PattleNow here comes Taylor, looking around and taking it all in.
She doesn’t look nervous, per se, but she certainly looks moved.
84,000 are here in Croke Park to see her, where she’s always dreamed of boxing.
Fireworks jettison into the dark Dublin sky.
This is very moving, I have to say.
Irish crowd drowns out Pili's music as they sing 'ole'
21:56 , Alex PattleCorr, Croke Park is a CAULDRON tonight. The crowd sings “ole” so loudly that Pili’s initial entrance music is barely audible.
Who is Flora Pili? Unbeaten French boxer makes her entrance
21:54 , Alex PattleTaylor (25-1, 6 KOs) will carry the IBF, WBO and WBA belts into this fight, while the vacant WBC title is also up for grabs.
Pili, 29, will bring her own belt into the fight – the IBO strap – although that version of the world title is not always granted the same prestige as the other belts.
In any case, Pili will also enter this fight with an unbeaten record (12-0, 2 KOs), as she looks to pull off the upset in front of Taylor’s home crowd.
Does the French boxer stand a chance, though? Betway has her listed as a huge underdog at 10/1, while Taylor is 1/20, and the draw is 20/1.
Silvia Bortot is perhaps the only name of real note on Pili’s resume; in 2023, Pili won a split decision against the Italian, who has fought world champions Lauren Price and Mikaela Mayer in the last three years – losing to both on points.
'Grace' performed before ring walks
21:49 , Alex PattleThe famous Irish song “Grace” is performed by Aoife Scott and Roisin O now.
The crowd is in strong voice, as you’d expect!
Now the national anthem.
Ring walks next...
Westlife perform 'You Raise Me Up'
21:44 , Alex PattleHere are Irish boyband Westlife, performing “World Of Our Own”.
Always enjoyed this one as a kid.
Next, one of the great covers?
Westlife encourage the Croke Park crowd to get their phone lights on, before launching into the chorus of “You Raise Me Up”.
With that, they leave the stage.
Barry Keoghan stars in hype video for Taylor's farewell
21:41 , Alex PattleAs the crowd in Croker watch this, you can too...
Check out the promo video for Taylor’s farewell, starring actor Barry Keoghan:
'Zombie' by The Cranberries plays as Taylor warms up backstage
21:34 , Alex PattleCorrr, we’re getting close now. An iconic Irish tune is BELTED OUT by the Croker faithful.
Westlife will play right before / during Taylor’s ring walk, and the noise when the legend emerges will be deafening. No doubt.
David Price’s prediction for Taylor vs Pili
21:27 , Alex PattleFormer heavyweight David Price, speaking to BetSelect.co.uk, said this week: “It would only be fitting for her to go out with a win against Flora Pili, which I think she will.
“She will be etched into history for what she’s done for women’s boxing. She is up there as one of the greatest British and Irish boxers of all time.
“She’ll go down as one of, if not the greatest female boxer of all time, and I have no doubts that she should be and will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.”
Carty vs Allen conclusion in photos
21:07 , Alex PattleAnother replay shows Carty clutching the back of his head after Allen’s final punch, before the Irishman fell through the ropes.
I wouldn’t say that was an intentionally illegal punch by Allen.
What a bizarre turn of events.
Carty seems to be okay as fight is ruled no-contest
21:02 , Alex PattleCarty is back on his feet, and he’s being escorted away from the ring.
We still don’t have an official ruling, but it will likely be a no-contest, rather than a KO or DQ.
MC David Diamante explains that it is a no-contest, upon the advice of a ringside doctor, with the finish coming at 1:22 of the very first round.
Replay shows back-of-the-head shot
20:58 , Alex PattleCarty is sitting up. He’s receiving oxygen, but he was also just seen shaking his head.
Allen is still bemused by the situation. The crowd doesn’t know what to make of it, either.
There are a few boos, but there’s clearly concern for Carty. I still don’t know what’s wrong with him.
Could it be that the punch to the side of the head actually landed to the back of the head?
Yes, a replay shows it did! The fans have seen that replay now, and they’re booing.
Carty falls through the ropes and out of the ring!
20:54 , Alex PattleRound one
Nice one-two from Carty after some early jabs by Allen. Carty with his own slick jab, then another southpaw one-two.
Allen fires back and has Carty wobbling off balance, then... OH!
Allen throws a shot to the side of the head in the clinch, and Carty tumbles through the ropes and out of the ring!!
“What the f***?” says a visibly-confused Allen.
Carty is lying flat on his back at ringside. He’s conscious, looking up at the sky. Did he get buzzed? Did he dislocate a shoulder or something? We’ll let you know once we know more.
They’ve paused the clock, but the fight hasn’t yet been waved off.
Heavyweight action, then Taylor vs Pili
20:36 , Alex PattleDave Allen fights Ireland’s Thomas Carty next. This should be a fun one.
Allen, 34, is a true veteran of the heavyweight division, while Carty, 30, is a southpaw with a promising record (11-1, 9 KOs).
Allen is hoping to bounce back from an early stoppage loss to Filip Hrgovic, who of course upset Moses Itauma last week.
Donovan beats a bloodied McKenna
20:26 , Alex Pattle
Donovan cuts and stops McKenna!
20:15 , Alex PattleRound four
McKenna, credit to him, is still on the front foot. Donovan is boxing behind his jab for now.
As the round goes on, Donovan begins to mix in hooks – and a lovely uppercut, too. The right hook, both to the head and body, is working nicely for Donovan.
Now a clean cross upstairs. McKenna skips away. He eats another uppercut and a hook.
His right eye is cut, and now he gets tagged on that bruised left eye... More clean offence from Donovan.
The ringside doctor checks McKenna’s cut... and IMMEDIATELY waves off the fight, wow! It is DRIPPING blood, to be fair.
Donovan drops McKenna!
20:07 , Alex PattleRound two
Great right hook to the body by Donovan, as he evades a shot over the top from McKenna.
Oh!! McKenna drops to his knees on delay!
He beats the ref’s count, but Donovan immediately gets after him with more body shots. McKenna nods at him.
Now a great right hook upstairs, with McKenna focusing on guarding his body. The younger Donovan is on another level right now. He lands a right hook upstairs now.
That left eye of McKenna is really reddened. He does land a right hand of his own, mind.
Donovan isn’t rushing for a finish...
Croke Park nearly full already
19:52 , Alex PattleCroke Park is almost full, and it looks stunning, it must be said.
Below is a look at one of the stands, but also that emphatic finish that Bevan just scored against Brennan.
Heartwarming moment: Taylor has young fan in tears of joy
19:23 , Alex PattleThe most heartwarming image of the week?
Taylor coached a 10-year-old fan through some padwork, in a moving scene.
Why has it taken so long for Taylor to fight at Croke Park?
19:17 , Alex PattleTaylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn said this week: “If Croker would have originally gone, ‘Yes, this is going to be massive,’ I would have gone, ‘wow’, and we would have done it.
“But it was like: ‘I don’t know.’ Blimey, if they’re not sure, do we really want to be gambling with these costs?
“People can deflate your spirit, which is quite unusual for me, but they did deflate my spirit a little bit over the years, because they made me question whether we could do it or if it would actually work.
“And I’m disappointed in myself, actually, that I allowed that to happen, because maybe we could have done it earlier. But then I didn’t have the confidence that I had going into it this time with [Irish promoter] Peter Aiken involved and the three Amanda Serrano fights [behind us].
“Croker helped out as well and they were fantastic in the end. But I never thought we’d do 40,000 tickets on a pre-sale. How many could we have done? I don’t know, maybe another 40,000, 50,000, 100,000?”
Forget McIlroy, forget Keane: Taylor is Ireland’s greatest athlete
19:11 , Alex PattleA reflection on Taylor’s career here, involving some fantastic quotes from various key figures in Irish fight sports.
“I remember seeing her move with my naked eye for the first time,” Irish journalist Peter Carroll told The Independent.
“She was 2-0. Me and maybe five other media guys are called to this tiny boxing gym in rural. The gym’s roof is leaking; it’s this rundown spot, there’s room for the boxing ring and nothing else.
“[But when she boxed], I was like: ‘What in the name of God is this?’”
That and much, much more here:
Katie Taylor is Ireland’s greatest athlete and it’s not even close
Steve Bunce: Why Taylor’s final fight isn’t about what happens in the ring
19:03 , Alex Pattle“It took minutes to convince everybody that Katie Taylor truly did deserve a final fight in front of 80,000 people at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night.
“The tickets went on sale and then the tickets for boxing’s greatest final fight sold out; it was all over in 30 minutes of trading, and Taylor’s position as one of the most popular fighters in history was secure.
“The journey to the very end of the boxing line started so long ago when Taylor, with her hair in braids tucked inside a headguard, posed as a boy to have her first fight. A legend was born on a tiny amateur show, and the girl from Bray was on her way.”
Full preview by Steve Bunce:
Why Katie Taylor’s final fight is not about what happens in the ring
How can I watch tonight’s fights?
18:26 , Alex PattleTaylor vs Pili and its undercard will stream live on DAZN. You can purchase a subscription here, with plans starting at £15.99 per month.
In Ireland, national station RTE will also broadcast the action.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Welcome: Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili LIVE
18:17 , Alex PattleKatie Taylor will bring down the curtain on her staggering boxing career tonight, as she fights one last time.
The Irish icon – an Olympic gold medalist and two-weight undisputed champion – will finally realise her dream of boxing at Dublin’s iconic Croke Park, as she faces the unbeaten Flora Pili.
Yet tonight’s main event is less about the result, which will crown an undisputed super-lightweight queen, and more about celebrating Taylor.
The 40-year-old is widely seen as the greatest women’s boxer in history, having played a pivotal role in bringing the sport to the Olympics, after getting her own start by pretending to be a boy.
Whatever happens tonight, Taylor’s legacy is secure, but this evening’s action will be must-watch regardless.
