BOXING legend Katie Taylor has revealed she will retire after one last fight in Dublin later this year.
The 39-year-old Olympic gold medal winner has enjoyed a glittering professional career that has helped raise the profile of women’s boxing both in Ireland and around the world.
She has now decided to hang up her gloves after one last fight in Dublin and hopes to bow out on Ireland’s biggest stage, Croke Park.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport today, she said that while Dublin would be the setting for her swan song, Croke Park was ‘top of the list’.
“We’re still trying to figure all the details out but I do plan on having one more fight this year, kind of like my retirement fight,” she said.
“It has been an amazing journey, the whole lot of it.
“Over these last 20 years, I’ve had the highs, the lows. It has been an incredible, remarkable career and I always wanted to end my career here in Ireland.
“That’s what we’re hoping for, that’s what we’re preparing for, to have one last fight and it’s going to be an amazing celebration.”
Taylor celebrates defeating Chantelle Cameron in their undisputed super lightweight championship fight at Dublin’s 3Arena in November 2023, the second of only two professional fights she has had in Ireland (Image: McCarthy / Sportsfile via Getty Images)She added: “Obviously we’re still hoping for Croke Park, we’re hanging on to a bit of hope that that can happen but if it doesn’t happen there’s obviously plenty of options there.
“I’ve obviously fought in the 3Arena a couple of times, the Aviva Stadium is also there but Croke Park would be the top of the list for me.
“Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena — how special would that be?”
Taylor’s two previous professional fights in Ireland were both at Dublin’s 3Arena against Chantelle Cameron.
The English fighter inflicted Taylor’s first professional defeat by way of a majority decision in front of 10,000 spectators as the Bray Bomber’s homecoming ended in disappointment in May 2023.
However, Taylor avenged the loss six months later, handing Cameron her only professional defeat as the Co. Wicklow fighter became a two-weight undisputed champion.
Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn has long been a supporter of her desire to fight at Croke Park.
He repeated the call after Taylor drew almost 20,000 spectators to Madison Square Garden when she headlined an all-female card for her trilogy fight with Serrano.
“It’s been a remarkable career,” he told Sky Sports last August.
“It would be a great way to go out by winning the trilogy against Amanda Serrano but the lure of a Croke Park fight would be something quite spectacular.”
He added: “Katie Taylor in Croke Park would be something we would never forget.”
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