Sports04 September, 20262 min read
Katie Taylor Faces Unbeaten Flora Pili in Undisputed Super-Lightweight Finale at Croke Park
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Taylor faces undefeated Flora Pili in undisputed super-lightweight finale at Croke Park. About 80,000 spectators expected at Dublin's Croke Park for the event.
11 outlets told this the same way.
Taylor’s Croke Park finale
Katie Taylor’s professional boxing career is set to end at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night when she faces unbeaten Frenchwoman Flora Pili in an undisputed super-lightweight showdown, with 80,000 fans expected to attend. Taylor weighed in at 139.6lbs for the fight, while Pili tipped the scales at 139.9lbs, as the bout week culminated in the official weigh-in at Trinity College.
Taylor said, "Let's go one more time" as she framed the final fight as a last chance to deliver for the support she has had over the past few years. The BBC described the event as a sold-out Croke Park undisputed light-welterweight battle, with Taylor and Pili weighing in at Trinity College before the fight.
Voices at weigh-in
At the Trinity College weigh-in, Taylor told the crowd, "I want to put in a performance worthy of everyone's support," linking the moment to the Olympics and her professional career. The BBC also quoted Taylor saying, "Tomorrow is going to be an amazing celebration," as she reiterated that her mind was "very much focused on the fight."
Former world champion Carl Frampton, speaking on DAZN, said Taylor has "finally got it" in getting the chance to fight at Croke Park, while adding that she "has to win first" against Pili. Mikaela Mayer, also quoted by Sky Sports, said she believes Taylor when she says it is her last fight, and that she would not be upset if Taylor came back.
What’s at stake
Taylor is bidding to retire as a three-time undisputed world champion, with the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super lightweight titles up for grabs in the fight against Pili at Croke Park. RTÉ reported that Taylor made weight for the final time at 139.6lbs, marginally lighter than Pili at 139.9lbs, and said the fight is expected to start just after 10pm.
The Guardian said European fashion brands face fresh questions over supply chain oversight after a fire at a factory that supplied them killed at least 33 garment workers in Bangladesh, but in the boxing coverage here the focus remains on Taylor’s farewell and the possibility of an undisputed outcome. DAZN’s preview emphasized that Pili is still undefeated as a professional and has an opportunity to spoil Taylor’s farewell, while also listing other fights on the platform including Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.