Katie Taylor will end her professional boxing career where it always felt like it should — in Dublin.
The 39-year-old undisputed super-lightweight champion confirmed to RTÉ Sport on Wednesday that her final fight will take place in the Irish capital this summer, with a date, opponent, and venue still to be finalized. Croke Park remains her first choice, though Aviva Stadium and 3Arena are also in play should negotiations with GAA headquarters fall short.
“I always wanted to end it here in Ireland,” Taylor said. “That’s what we’re hoping and preparing for, to have one last fight. It is going to be an amazing celebration.”
On the venue, Taylor was candid about where her heart lies. “Fighting my last fight in our most iconic arena, how special would that be?” she said of Croke Park. “I think it would be absolutely remarkable if I was able to do that. I’m not sure if it is going to happen or not. Either way, I’ll be ending my career here and I’m very, very excited about that.”
Timeline and Opponent
Taylor indicated the fight would likely take place in July or August, a window that would align with Croke Park’s post-GAA calendar when the venue typically hosts concerts and non-football events. The All-Ireland finals occupy the stadium through midsummer, making late July or August the earliest realistic window for a boxing event.
No opponent has been named. Taylor currently holds undisputed status at 140 pounds, though the WBC has designated her “Champion in Recess” and installed Sandy Ryan as its titleholder after Ryan defeated Karla Ramos Zamora last Saturday. Edith Soledad Matthysse also claimed interim WBA honors over the weekend with an upset win over Samantha Worthington. Either could be a logical challenger, though Taylor may seek a higher-profile name to anchor what would be one of the biggest boxing events in Irish history.
Claressa Shields and Mikaela Mayer have both been mentioned as potential opponents in recent months.
A Career Without Parallel
Taylor retires with a professional record of 25-1 with 6 knockouts and a résumé that stands alone in women’s boxing history. She became undisputed lightweight champion in 2019 with a controversial split-decision win over Delfine Persoon at Madison Square Garden, then moved up and unified the super-lightweight division with a 2023 victory over Chantelle Cameron in Dublin — avenging her only professional defeat in the process.
Her trilogy with Amanda Serrano, concluded with a majority-decision victory at Madison Square Garden last July on Netflix, produced three of the biggest women’s boxing events ever staged. The second installment, streamed as the co-main event to Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson in November 2024, averaged 74 million live viewers globally — the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in U.S. history.
Before turning professional under Matchroom Boxing in 2016, Taylor’s amateur career was equally dominant: five consecutive World Championship golds, six European Championship golds, and Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games, where she served as Ireland’s flag bearer.
“It has been an amazing journey, the whole lot of it, over these last 20 years,” Taylor said. “I have had the highs and lows. It has been an incredible, remarkable career.”
Details on the date, opponent, and broadcast are expected in the coming weeks.
