A massive event took place last night at Croke Park in Dublin, promoted by Matchroom Boxing: more than 80,000 fans, a packed stadium, an incredible atmosphere — all for the final fight of champion Katie Taylor (26-1-0), who decided to hang up her gloves after an extraordinary career. Her opponent, Flora Pili (12-1), a French fighter represented by the Italian promotional company OPI Since 82, was handed the opportunity of a lifetime and found herself at the center of an unforgettable night.
Taylor’s remarkable career ended with the proverbial icing on the cake: a dominant points victory (100-90, 100-90, 98-91) that saw her become undisputed world champion for the third time.
The Fight
The fight began with a feeling-out process, as both fighters looked to establish their jabs, although we also saw the first two-handed combinations from Katie.
The champion displayed her trademark footwork, moving in and out of range and allowing her to land without taking virtually anything in return. Her speed was exceptional.
By the third round, Pili did not appear fazed and remained patient, waiting for the right moment. She refused to be intimidated and, following instructions from her corner, began trying to let her hands go, but she was unable to find the right distance.
Katie Taylor began to step up the pace in the fourth round. Her combinations were extremely fast, preventing her opponent from getting her own offense going. Pili clearly needed to do more if she wanted to trouble the champion.
The fifth round began with the hometown favorite in sparkling form. She came out firing and unloaded combinations to the Frenchwoman’s body. There were eleven years between the two fighters, but Taylor’s speed was on another level and simply beyond her opponent’s reach.
It was not until the sixth round that Pili attempted to become more aggressive, but Taylor immediately shut her down with lightning-fast combinations that repeatedly found the target.
The Irishwoman continued to press forward, now focusing on body shots, but Pili responded with several left hooks and managed to time the champion effectively.
The fight then began to heat up, with the French boxer taking the seventh round thanks to her increased aggression, which allowed her to penetrate Taylor’s guard on several occasions.
Pili continued to push forward in the eighth and ninth rounds, showing plenty of determination at this stage of the fight, but the champion made full use of the ring and calmly managed her opponent’s pressure without ever losing her composure.
Then came the final round — the final bell of the Irish legend’s career. Two minutes of toe-to-toe action, just as expected! They stood in the center of the ring trading punches, first one and then the other, all the way to the final ten chaotic seconds.
There were no surprises when the verdict was announced: Katie Taylor was the deserved winner, having proved far superior to Pili in every department.
With this victory, Katie captured the vacant WBC junior welterweight title, becoming, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, undisputed world champion for the third time in her career.
One of the athletes who has done more than almost anyone for the sport now walks away from professional boxing, having radically changed the way countless fans view women’s boxing. An extraordinary fighter, in some ways a “quiet” one, who always let her remarkable performances do the talking.
A true piece of boxing history said goodbye to an ecstatic home crowd, triumphing one final time and producing emotion, tears and endless excitement.
A new chapter now begins for Katie Taylor, but her achievements inside the ring will be remembered forever.