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Katie Taylor’s Weigh-In Leaves Fans in No Doubt: The Champion Is Ready to Fight

From Irish Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Katie Taylor weighed in at 139.6 pounds for her final career fight against Flora Pili, who weighed 139.9 pounds.
  • Taylor will headline a sold-out event before more than 80,000 spectators at Dublin’s Croke Park.
  • The 40-year-old Irish boxer said she remains focused on the challenge and wants to showcase her talent one final time.

Katie Taylor brought boxing’s travelling spectacle to Trinity College on Friday, where the final weigh-in for her last fight unfolded beneath the university’s Campanile.

The setting suited a fighter whose career has repeatedly challenged the limits placed on women in sport. Taylor will box in front of more than 80,000 people at Croke Park on Saturday night, headlining a sold-out show less than three decades after she had to pretend to be a boy to take part in boxing.

My mind is very much focused on the fight at this stage

· Katie TaylorShe said she was concentrating on her final bout after completing the weigh-in.

Taylor weighed 139.6 pounds for the super-lightweight bout. Her opponent, Flora Pili, came in at 139.9 pounds. Wearing a pine-green leather jacket with a large gold zipper and her name across the chest, Taylor paused after the weigh-in to take in the crowd gathered in the college square.

I have a job to do tomorrow night; I have a very tough challenger in front of me. But I’ve been saying all along that I’ve built my reputation on always taking a tough fight, so why treat my last fight any differently? It is going to be a tough challenge, but this is what I was born for; this is what I was made for.

· Katie TaylorShe described her approach to the final fight of her career.

“My mind is very much focused on the fight at this stage,” she said. “I have a job to do tomorrow night; I have a very tough challenger in front of me. But I’ve been saying all along that I’ve built my reputation on always taking a tough fight, so why treat my last fight any differently? It is going to be a tough challenge, but this is what I was born for; this is what I was made for.”

She added: “God has put this gift in me since I was a kid, and I have to perform tomorrow night. I have one last night to go in and display the gift that God has put in me. What a privilege.” The crowd briefly broke into a chorus of “Olé, Olé, Olé”. Taylor and Pili were the final fighters on stage, and the Irish audience gave the French boxer a warm reception. They shook hands after their face-off, while Taylor stayed to thank the fans.

God has put this gift in me since I was a kid, and I have to perform tomorrow night. I have one last night to go in and display the gift that God has put in me. What a privilege.

· Katie TaylorShe reflected on the opportunity to perform in her final professional fight.
About this summary

Originally published by Irish Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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