Katie Taylor has won her final professional fight, defeating France’s Flora Pili by unanimous decision at Croke Park.
Taylor put in a strong performance over the 10 rounds to secure the victory and bring her remarkable 30-year boxing career to a close in front of a huge home crowd.
Around 82,000 fans packed into Croke Park to watch the Bray boxer take to the ring for the final time.
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Taylor was visibly emotional after the fight and said she was “blown away” by the reception she received from the crowd.
“I've dreamed of this day for years now,” she told RTÉ Sport.
“It's been absolutely remarkable, the whole atmosphere here. I'm looking around the stadium and seeing 80,000 people here screaming my name.”
Taylor said finishing her career at Croke Park was beyond anything she could have imagined.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams. I'm just so grateful - what a way to end this career. The people of Ireland have given me a dream ending to a dream career and I'm so grateful.”
The 40-year-old began boxing as a nine or 10-year-old and has now ended her career on home soil with another victory.
Speaking about her final ring walk, Taylor said the reception from the crowd gave her extra energy.
“The atmosphere when I came out here just gave me so much energy. It was unbelievable, incredible,” she said.
After an emotional week, Taylor was able to put those feelings aside and focus on the job in the ring.
“My last fight, the end of a 30-year career,” she said.
“I started boxing as a nine- or 10-year-old and here I am ending my career here [at Croke Park], it was a very emotional week but I got through it and I was able to stay focused on the job.”
And she did exactly that, finishing her incredible career with one final win in front of her home fans.
