Katie Taylor retired from boxing on Saturday night as a three-time undisputed world champion, outclassing Flora Pili over 10 rounds at a sold-out Croke Park to close a 30-year career in the sport.
The 40-year-old from Bray won by unanimous decision, with judges turning in scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91 in front of more than 80,000 fans at Ireland’s national stadium. Taylor finishes 26-1 with six knockouts. Pili, unbeaten through 12 fights before Saturday, drops to 12-1.
The win handed Taylor the vacant WBC super lightweight title, the same belt she gave up herself in 2025 after the Amanda Serrano trilogy in order to take a break from the sport. Reclaiming it reunified the division and made her undisputed at 140 pounds for a second time, following her earlier undisputed reign at lightweight. She also took the IBO strap off Pili, meaning she walks away holding every belt in the division alongside her WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine titles.
Taylor refused a soft farewell opponent. Pili was the mandatory challenger, 11 years younger, and had previously held the IBO title Taylor vacated. Whatever danger she brought never materialized. Taylor claimed the center of the ring early behind the jab, controlled the distance, and conceded only a brief spell late.
Taylor Says She Will Not Come Back
Speaking to RTE in the ring afterward, Taylor called it the perfect way to end a 30-year career in boxing. “I dreamed of this moment for years, it’s been absolutely remarkable,” she said.
She had already tried to shut down the obvious question. In the build-up she told Sky Sports she is “not like Tyson Fury” and would retire only once. She confirmed back in June that the Croke Park date would be her last, and told Boxing News she would have walked away without it. “I remember saying to Eddie and Brian after the last fight, it’s either Croke Park or nothing for me,” she said.
Her exit takes several of the biggest fights in women’s boxing permanently off the board, including the superfight Alycia Baumgardner had been chasing earlier this year.
First Boxing At Croke Park Since Ali
Saturday’s card was the first professional boxing event staged at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali fought Alvin “Blue” Lewis there in July 1972, a night that drew around 18,000 and lost money for its promoter. Taylor’s farewell sold out the 82,000-capacity stadium inside half an hour when general tickets went on sale in June. Eddie Hearn has said he regrets not bringing her to the venue years earlier.
On the undercard, Paddy Donovan stopped Tyrone McKenna in the fourth round on a doctor’s stoppage, Taylor Bevan knocked out Dublin’s Emmet Brennan in the sixth, and Molly McCann took a wide unanimous decision over Sylwia Doligala to move to 5-0 since leaving MMA. The heavyweight bout between Dave Allen and Thomas Carty was ruled a no contest.
