Taylor insists Croke Park bout with Pili will be a test, not a testimonial

Katie Taylor will face Flora Pili for the undisputed light-welterweight title at Croke Park on Saturday, and Taylor says she is preparing for a stern test rather than a farewell exhibition as she aims to finish her career in style.

More than 54 years have passed since Muhammad Ali headlined the last boxing event at the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and Taylor will make what is billed as her final walk in front of an expected 80,000 spectators with the opportunity to become undisputed champion at light-welterweight once again. While fight-week attention has included talk of ring-walks and musical entertainment in Dublin, Taylor has stressed her concentration remains on the bout itself.

Speaking at Tuesday's news conference, Taylor reiterated her focus on the fight and on getting the result. "I'm trying not to think about it as I have a job to do," she said. "It's too dangerous a sport to have your body in the ring and your heart out of it, thinking of retirement. "I have a job to do, and I'm very much focused on that job. The most important part of Saturday night is I get my hand raised, so it's business as usual for me. "I've a live opponent in front of me, so it won't be a walk in the park. She is here to win ... a young, undefeated fighter. It will be a tough fight, but that's when I'm at my best." Taylor's professional record stands at 25-1.

Pili arrives in Dublin unbeaten in 12 fights, holding the European and IBO titles, and the 29-year-old French challenger has presented herself in braided hair in the colours of the French flag. "We're all aware of the task ahead but have the whole of France behind us, so we will be proud to take on Katie," Pili said. "I've nothing to lose and everything to win. I'm the underdog, and there is no pressure on me, so I will give everything I can from the first bell and take home all of these belts."

Taylor's biggest performances have come against elite opponents in high-stakes rematches, including victories over Amanda Serrano, the rematch with Chantelle Cameron, and a 2020 rematch against Delfine Persoon that followed a much tighter battle 14 months earlier in New York. Her only professional defeat occurred against Cameron in Dublin in 2023; Taylor later avenged that loss to become undisputed champion in a second division, and Cameron's sole defeat remains that rematch with Taylor.

Promoter Eddie Hearn described the occasion in grand terms and warned of the challenge Taylor faces. He predicted "one of the greatest moments Irish sport has ever seen" and added: "She's got to focus on the fight, because this girl's decent," said the Matchroom boss. "I'm not saying she's got the pedigree of Katie Taylor, but Katie's 40 years old. She's [Taylor] fighting a young, strong girl who likes to trade, and so does Katie, who's IBO world champion, European champion, a decent amateur who can become undisputed herself on Saturday. "She [Taylor] was saying, 'I need to prepare myself for war here', because she can't walk out, then get in the ring, and then it just passes you by, because that can happen. "It will be an all-out war, because it's the only way she knows how to fight. She's not going to try to box and move because she'll want to leave it all in the ring."

Taylor says her camp has been methodical as she prepares for an occasion she accepts is unlike any she has experienced. "I'm not sure how I'm going to feel, but it will be a special night," she said. "I'm going to walk to the ring, focus on the fight, as there will be plenty of time after to reflect on this amazing career, should I get my hand raised. "I wouldn't be human if I didn't think of it all and think of all the little girls who may be at a boxing event for the first time. "In my mind's eye, I think of one of those girls who might fall in love with this beautiful sport and may even surpass my achievements, all because of one amazing September day in Croke Park. I can't wait to hear those stories."

The undisputed light-welterweight title will be decided at Croke Park on Saturday, with Taylor seeking to secure the win she says matters most and Pili aiming to claim the belts.