Irish boxer Katie Taylor has retired from professional boxing after winning her final match in front of 80,000 fans at Croke Park. Taylor defeated the previously unbeaten French boxer Flora Pili on points after ten rounds. With this victory, Taylor added the vacant WBC title to her WBO, WBA, and IBF belts, becoming a three-time undisputed world champion.
This victory marked the end of a remarkable journey for Taylor. When she first started boxing as a girl, females were barred from amateur boxing competition in Ireland. To compete in matches, she sometimes had to enter tournaments using only the name "K Taylor".
Despite these early difficulties, Taylor achieved historic success. She won an Olympic lightweight gold medal at the London 2012 Games, where women's boxing made its Olympic debut. Four years later, she turned professional and went on to win world titles at lightweight and super-lightweight, finishing her career with 26 wins and one defeat.
After the fight ended, Taylor placed her boxing gloves in the center of the ring to mark her official retirement. Addressing the cheering crowd, she said that the people of Ireland gave her a "dream end to a dream career."