Katie Taylor has retired from professional boxing following her victory over Flora Pili at Croke Park in Dublin. The 40-year-old Irish fighter finished her career with a 26-1 record, securing her third undisputed world championship title before 84,000 spectators.
A native of Bray, Taylor began boxing at age 10, initially disguising herself as a boy to compete before women’s boxing was officially recognized in Ireland. At 15, she fought Alanna Audley in the country’s first sanctioned female amateur bout. She later won gold at the 2012 London Olympics before turning professional in November 2016 with a third-round stoppage of Karina Kopinska.
Taylor won her first world title a year later against Anahi Sanchez to claim the WBA lightweight belt. After unifying the division, she defeated Cindy Serrano by unanimous decision. In April 2022, Taylor made history alongside Cindy’s younger sister, Amanda Serrano, when they became the first women to headline an event at Madison Square Garden. Taylor won that bout by split decision and went on to complete a 3-0 trilogy record against Serrano.
She suffered her sole professional defeat when Chantelle Cameron outpointed her in Dublin for the super-lightweight titles. But Taylor won the immediate rematch by majority decision.
Her final victory against the previously undefeated Pili made her the oldest boxer to win an undisputed championship. Across her ten-year professional career, Taylor won 19 world titles and became a three-time undisputed champion across two weight divisions. Her departure leaves an ongoing debate over who stands as the greatest female boxer in history.
In April 2019, Claressa Shields became the first female boxer to achieve undisputed status in the four-belt era, with Taylor becoming the second two months later. While Shields holds 21 world titles across three weight classes, Taylor’s three undisputed reigns alongside Shields, Serrano, and Alycia Baumgardner define the modern era of women’s boxing.
