What to Know: Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili
- Ireland’s greatest athlete and pound-for-pound women’s boxing champion Katie Taylor will fight for the final time in her career on September 5 in Dublin, Ireland.
- Taylor will face Flora Pili of France in her dream venue, the 80,000-seat Croke Park, the home of Gaelic football.
- The Olympic gold medalist and two-division undisputed champion Taylor said fighting at Croke Park was the final goal of her boxing career and that she would not have returned for anything else.
Friday’s announcement came as no surprise to anyone, but it was still a thrill to learn that the long-held dream of Ireland’s Katie Taylor would be fulfilled to close out her boxing career at home in Dublin on September 5.
Taylor had long expressed her goal of concluding her career as Ireland’s greatest athlete by defending her titles at Croke Park, a historic venue seating 80,000 people and home to the Gaelic Athletic Association. It will be the first boxing event at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali fought Alvin Lewis of Detroit in 1972.
Taylor’s opponent is her newly minted mandatory challenger for the vacant WBC World Super Lightweight, Flora Pili of France (12-0, 2 KOs). Although many women threw their names into the hat as Taylor’s final opponent, including Stephanie Han, Holly Holm, and Caroline Dubois, this was never meant to be a trial by fire.
It is designed to provide Taylor with a credible opponent, sharp enough to help promote the fight and share the ring, while tipping the scales as much as possible to ensure Taylor earns herself the fairy-tale ending to a storybook career.
The 2012 London Olympics gold medalist and two-division champion Taylor of Bray, Ireland (25-1, 6 KOs) began a four-day promotional tour with Friday’s news conference, then moving on to her hometown of Bray, County Wicklow, and on to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Watch the Taylor vs Pili news conference.
Katie Taylor: “I’m So Grateful“
Taylor expressed her deep appreciation to the many players who secured the September 5 event, promising to deliver an event her devoted fans and the entire nation would be proud to witness.
“This seems like the perfect way to end it, by becoming undisputed champion again in our national stadium, which has such a special place in Irish hearts,” said Taylor. “I’m so grateful that it’s happening, and I can’t thank the people of this country enough for the support I have received over the years.
“People have traveled all around the world to follow my career, and I’m hoping I can repay some of that with a big performance on September 5. I’m under no illusions that Flora will present a very tough challenge. She’s undefeated as a professional and has a good amateur pedigree so I have the utmost respect for her.
Securing the Croke Park Venue Took A Village
Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions is a music promoter who has staged multiple events at Croke Park, primarily concerts including Bruce Springsteen. Aiken said he was contacted by Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn and convinced to get on board. Aiken said he never had any interest in boxing, but Hearn and Taylor drew him in.
Taylor’s longtime manager, Brian Peters, was perhaps the most emotional person on the stage on Friday. “Four years ago, we dared to dream this day would become a reality, and it takes all these people up here … I’m delighted that we have,” then paused to hold back his tears.
“We didn’t know where we were going, we didn’t know how we were going to do it. After Katie spoke to you, with the conviction she showed, I think you believed we had something very special,” said Peters to Hearn, expressing his gratitude for taking Taylor to the great stadiums of the world during her career.
“It’s hard to get through to people what Croke Park actually means. If you cut most Irish people, they bleed Croke Park, or they bleed GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association),” added Peters.
“It’s all very emotional, it’s all very historic, but we’ve got to win!” said Hearn. “We can’t leave this sport without being victorious at Croke Park,” and without adding the final belt to make Taylor undisputed once again.
Flora Pili: “I Will Make A Name For Myself”
Pili’s promoter, Christian Cherchi, described the call offering Pili the Taylor fight. “We was in a bit of shock when we received the message, are you interested in fighting Katie Taylor. I didn’t even ask Flora,” said Cherchi, saying he immediately agreed to the deal. “She will have a real fight in Flora. Flora will have to take advantage of this huge opportunity.”
“It’s a dream come true to fight Katie Taylor,” said Pili. “Obviously, I follow Katie Taylor’s career. She’s a legend of female sport. I will be here with all of my team to come here and make a name for myself.” And to be clear, a significant payday and a place in boxing history, win or lose.
Taylor: “Perfect Way to End My Career”
“We’ve actually brought boxing back to Croke Park, amazing!” said Taylor. “This has been on my career bucket list for the last couple of months,” thanking everyone for their tenacity in getting it over the line. “This was an impossible dream a few years ago. This is going to be the most iconic moment of my whole career. I have the chance to fight in the packed stadium at Croke Park, our most iconic venue, it’s the cathedral of Irish sport.
“It’s the perfect way to end my career. I have goose bumps, I actually can’t believe I’m in this position,” concluded Taylor.
Hearn asked Taylor about envisioning that final ring walk ahead. Taylor made it clear she’s got to focus on winning the fight. She admitted that after her last fight with Amanda Serrano in July, she wasn’t certain she would fight again.
“The only thing that gave me the passion again was Croke Park, and I also wanted to be in a real fight with real risk to give me the hunger and drive to go again,” said Taylor. “But I do imagine that ring walk,” admitted Taylor. “I want to put on a performance worthy of everyone’s support.”
Taylor credited her rise in women’s boxing to the people of Ireland, who gave her the support. “The Irish people have proven themselves the best fans in the world time and time again,” promising them a career-best performance as the audience burst into applause.
The fight will air worldwide on DAZN Boxing, with an undercard to be announced.
DAZN Vice President Alfie Sharman said, “Katie Taylor fighting at Croke Park is one of the most significant moments in Irish sporting history. This is a homecoming that reflects a truly storied career — one built on excellence, resilience and titles. Fighting at Croke Park, in front of her legions of fans and returning to the country that shaped that journey, is a moment years in the making, and DAZN is proud to bring this landmark fight night to audiences around the world.”
The title sponsor is Ireland’s largest grocery store chain, Lidl Ireland, which has long sponsored the women’s Gaelic Football Association and agreed to come on board for Taylor vs Pili.
Taylor vs Pili Ticket Sales Information
Tickets will officially be released for sale next week via Ticketmaster, Friday, June 12, priced from €38.70, with Family ticket packages (seated in a non-alcohol area in the stadium) priced at €125.50. Full details – including on-sale dates and service charges – are provided below.
Pre-sale tickets for Matchroom Boxing Fight Pass members opens at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10. Lidl customers with the Lidl Plus App can purchase on pre-sale exclusively from 10 a.m. via the Lidl Plus App, with Croke Park residents able to purchase from 10 a.m. General sale goes live at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 12. Cusack/Davin and Hogan stand prices start at €38.70 with tickets for a family of four (in a non-alcohol area of the stadium) at €125.50. Pitchside prices range from €106.25 to €1,505.50. All tickets via Ticketmaster are subject to a max service charge of €10.50.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.