Katie Taylor will end her professional boxing career on Saturday, 10 years after her debut in November 2016. She was Olympic Champion in 2012 guided by her father Pete and Zaur Antia. She has been a trail blazer for women’s boxing over the past 25 years.
Many of today’s stars in female boxing have spoken about Katie in glowing terms, Clarissa Shields, Terri Harper, Chantelle Cameron and on a domestic front Christina Desmond has spoken of her admiration for Katie.
Much will be written in the coming days about her farewell in Croker, thankfully she will get the send-off and to box in Croke Park which for the latter part of her professional career was a stated aim.
I am thinking of Jimmy Magee as I type, who was the man in 2012 who commentated on her Olympic Final, he was the voice of Irish boxing along with Dave “boy” Mc Auley and Mick Dowling among others.
Boxing has long since disappeared from television screen in this country owing to outside factors that have been well documented so I won’t be going over old ground. Slowly though in recent times, that seems to be changing and we have had a number of shows involving plenty of Irish talent.
At amateur level, TG4 has carried the can and given the National Championships in boxing their time in the spot light. RTE has left well enough alone and will re-enter the boxing sphere on Saturday evening for the first time in many years and let’s hope it will be not be a 1 and done scenario by those in RTE who have shown in recent times that they can get it right covering sport outside of the usual namely GAA, Rugby and Football in particular.
The recent coverage of the European Swimming and Athletics Championships was evidence of how well they can do things on occasion. The great and the good will be out in force on Saturday for what does promise to be a truly special occasion that most likely will transcend sport given all that Katie has achieved in multiple sports over the past 20 + years.
For Katie, who will no doubt treat Saturday as if is her first day out, It will be a special one with family and friends out in force to support her on the big stage one last time. She will box Flora Pili of France to try and become a 3 time undisputed World Champion on home soil.
Brian Peters and Eddie Hearn deserve credit for making this happen and those at GAA HQ for allowing this event take place. It certainly will be one of those “where were you when moments”. I am grateful for the fact I have seen Katie box locally twice at amateur level and although I didn’t see her box live as a pro, I have continued like so many to follow her career on the World stage.
She could well have ended her career a few years ago but has continued into 40th year in the hope of this final chance to end it on home soil in Croke Park which lasted hosted a boxing event in 1972 when Muhammed Ali fought Al “Blue” Lewis.
It’s a great bookend for Taylor as the “Greatest” Muhammed Ali was the last to box there and now one of women’s greatest Katie Taylor will pick up the torch on Saturday evening.
A number of good quality bouts will support the Taylor vs Pili fight, with people like Molly Mc Cann, ex UFC fighter and cousin of Taylor continue her fledgling boxing career while Paddy Donovan will go up against Tyrone Mc Kenna from Belfast.
A number of other bouts will support the main event on the evening and it promises to be a good evening of boxing in the home of the GAA for the first time since 1972.
Taylor herself has come a hell of a long way since having to pretend to be a boy just to allow her to box in an event all those years ago. She has done so much for women’s boxing including fighting in a bout in front of Olympic officials that helped sway them to allow boxing have a place at the 2012 games where she won Gold.
To those travelling on Saturday, enjoy watching a genuine Irish sporting hero and legend in action on last time.
Katie, it’s been a pleasure and honour to see you fight and achieve all you have over the years….