Boxing Wire

Tag: Katie Taylor

  • Katie Taylor Says September 5 Bout Will Be Her Last

    Katie Taylor Says September 5 Bout Will Be Her Last

    Katie Taylor has confirmed in her own words that her September 5 fight at Dublin’s Croke Park will be the last of her career, framing the homecoming as “the perfect way to end it.”

    The bout offers her the chance to retire as a three-time undisputed super lightweight champion in front of more than 80,000 fans at Ireland’s national stadium.

    With the event now official, Taylor will defend her WBO, WBA, IBF, and Ring Magazine super lightweight titles against undefeated French contender Flora Pili, according to Matchroom Boxing. The vacant WBC title is also on the line, giving Taylor the opportunity to become undisputed once again.

    “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,” Taylor said. “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.”

    Taylor enters the bout with a 25-1 record. The event will stream live worldwide on DAZN.

    A Historic Night At Croke Park

    The September 5 card will mark the first professional boxing event staged at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali fought Alvin Lewis there in 1972. The venue has returned to prominence in major boxing circles, also serving as the reported site for Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua later this year.

    Taylor made clear she is not overlooking Pili, who brings an unbeaten 12-0 record into the biggest fight of her career.

    “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,” Taylor said.

    The Icing On The Cake

    For Taylor, closing her career at Croke Park carries a meaning beyond titles.

    “I’ve been blessed to achieve more than I could ever have dreamed in this sport, but fighting at Croke Park really is the icing on the cake,” she said. “I hope it’s the kind of event that will inspire a whole new generation to take up sport and follow their passions.”

    Tickets go on sale June 12 through Ticketmaster, with pre-sale access beginning earlier in the week. The fight streams on DAZN, whose relationship with Matchroom has drawn recent attention across the broadcast landscape.

    If successful, Taylor would walk away as a three-time undisputed champion. Other women’s stars have circled her name, with Alycia Baumgardner among those calling for a superfight, though Taylor has set her sights firmly on a Dublin send-off.

  • Alycia Baumgardner Calls Out Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano For Superfight

    Alycia Baumgardner Calls Out Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano For Superfight

    Alycia Baumgardner has identified her next two targets, and she says the groundwork for both fights is already being laid.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show ahead of her MVPW-02 title defense against Bo Mi Re Shin on Friday, the unified super featherweight champion revealed she has spoken directly with Katie Taylor about a potential matchup and described the conversation as mutually respectful and promising.

    “I was able to talk to Katie personally. I had a great conversation with her recently, woman to woman,” Baumgardner said. “I said, ‘Listen, I respect what you do. I love what you have done. I would love to share the ring with you.’ And she agreed. She respects my level of skills. She respects who I am as an individual. And we know what the sport needs. She’s a gamer. She’s game on.”

    Baumgardner is equally direct about wanting Amanda Serrano, and she already has a venue in mind for that fight.

    “I love that fight. I’ve been very vocal with Jordan Maldonado. I’ve been vocal with Amanda. Would love to share the ring with her. The money has to be there, obviously. And that’s a fight we could see in New York City at the Garden. We have the fan base for that.”

    She framed both names as the only ones that matter when discussing women’s boxing at the highest level right now. “When we talk about a super fight, we talk about the biggest stage. We were on Netflix twice last year. Now we’re headlining on ESPN. There’s only two names that have that pedigree of being on a stage like that. Those are the two fights, a super fight that I want.”

    For now, the focus is on Shin. Baumgardner defends her WBA, IBF, and WBO titles at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday, headlining MVPW’s first show on ESPN. She views the performance as a statement that will accelerate conversations about those bigger matchups.

    “The performance Friday night will elevate that. We’ll set the standard. Then, who do we want to see Alycia Baumgardner against? It’s got to be one of those two.”

    MVPW-02 airs live on ESPN at 10 PM ET on Friday, April 17.