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· collected 2026-09-06 · by AFP
Katie Taylor, a 40-year-old Irish boxer, has ended her career as an undisputed champion with a points victory over Flora Pili in Dublin's Croke Park on Saturday. The win gave Taylor the vacant WBC title and retained her WBA, IBF, and WBO super-lightweight belts, making her the undisputed champion for a third time. With a record of 26 victories and one defeat, Taylor brought the curtain down on her career in front of 80,000 adoring fans. The article reports on Taylor's remarkable journey from amateur boxer to Olympic gold medalist and professional world champion.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
40-year-old Irishwoman Katie Taylor has announced her retirement from boxing after defeating Flora Pili in a unanimous decision at Croke Park in Dublin. Taylor added the vacant WBC belt to her existing three titles with a win over the undefeated 29-year-old French fighter, who was on top for some of the middle rounds but ultimately outclassed throughout. The crowd of 80,000 cheered Taylor on as she ended her career with a record of 26 wins and one defeat, which came earlier in 2023 to Chantelle Cameron. Taylor is also a two-weight world champion and had previously won Olympic gold in 2012.
Written for “Katie Taylor's Boxing Career” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 5373 · logged 2026-09-06
Boxing great Katie Taylor has signed off on a glorious, title-laden career that blazed the trail for women’s boxing in her native Ireland and around the world with a win over France’s Flora Pili in Dublin.
asserted
that → sign → Dublin
Taylor brought the curtain down with a points victory in front of 80,000 adoring fans at Croke Park on Saturday.
asserted
Taylor → bring → Saturday
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asserted
Taylor → shoot → career
The 40-year-old retained her WBA, IBF and WBO super-lightweight belts and added the vacant WBC title to become the undisputed champion for a third time on Saturday.
asserted
old → retain → Saturday
Taylor emerged for her final ring walk to a deafening reception from the sold-out crowd, with fireworks, light shows and chants of “Katie, Katie, Katie!” echoing around the home of Irish Gaelic sports.
asserted
fireworks → emerge → sports
She used her superior movement and timing to control much of the early and middle rounds, but the resilient Pili refused to fade.
asserted
Pili → use → rounds
The previously unbeaten 29-year-old French challenger came back strongly in the seventh, giving Taylor her most difficult round, before the Irishwoman steadied herself in the eighth and reasserted control.
asserted
Irishwoman → come → control
As the crowd erupted into chants of “Ole! Ole! Ole!”, Taylor raised her arms and embraced Pili after the final bell.
The judges awarded Taylor a unanimous decision.
asserted
judges → erupt → decision
Afterwards, Taylor thanked her family, including her father, who taught her “how to fight”, and hugged her tearful mother.
asserted
who → thank → mother
The victory completed a remarkable journey for Taylor, who began boxing at a time when girls were barred from amateur competition in Ireland and sometimes entered bouts simply as “K Taylor”.
asserted
girls → complete → Taylor
She went on to win Olympic lightweight gold at London 2012, when women’s boxing made its games debut, before turning professional four years later.
asserted
boxing → go → debut
Taylor finishes her professional career with 26 victories and one defeat, having won world titles at lightweight and super-lightweight.
asserted
Taylor → finish → lightweight
Her farewell also brought top-level boxing back to Croke Park for the first time since Muhammad Ali defeated Al “Blue” Lewis in 1972.
asserted
Ali → bring → 1972