Katie Taylor Closes Career With Croke Park Victory Over Flora Pili

Katie Taylor ended her professional boxing career with a unanimous-decision victory over Flora Pili at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday. BBC Sport reported that the 40-year-old Irish champion won 100-90 on two scorecards and 98-91 on the third, adding the vacant WBC light-welterweight title to the WBA, WBO and IBF belts she already held.

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The victory made Taylor an undisputed world champion for the third time and completed her career with 26 wins from 27 professional contests. Pili, a 29-year-old former European champion from France, entered the fight unbeaten in 12 bouts but could not match Taylor's speed, movement or accuracy over the distance.

More than 80,000 spectators attended the farewell, according to BBC Sport. The event brought boxing back to Croke Park for the first time since 1972 and delivered the stadium appearance Taylor had long identified as the final ambition of her career. After the result was announced, she placed her gloves and championship belts in the center of the ring.

Taylor took control after a measured opening round, using quick combinations and moving out of range before Pili could respond. Pili produced her most effective passage in the seventh round, when a short flurry briefly drove Taylor back, but the challenger was unable to change the course of the contest. Taylor pressed forward again in the final round as the crowd stood for the closing two minutes.

The result concluded a professional career that began in 2016. Taylor's only defeat came against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin in May 2023; she reversed that result six months later at the same 3Arena venue to become undisputed champion in a second weight division. She also won all three fights in her rivalry with Amanda Serrano, including their first meeting at Madison Square Garden in 2022.

Before turning professional, Taylor won Olympic lightweight gold for Ireland at the London Games in 2012. Her final appearance combined another championship victory with the home-stadium occasion that had eluded her for years, and she confirmed to the Croke Park crowd that the bout had brought her career to its planned conclusion.