Taylor crowns career with stylish Croke Park triumph

Katie Taylor's final fight ended exactly as Ireland had hoped. In front of 80,000 jubilant fans at Croke Park, she outclassed unbeaten Frenchwoman Flora Pili and completed a three-time undisputed world championship career with a unanimous points victory.

Taylor added the vacant WBC light-welterweight belt to her WBA, WBO and IBF titles. Her scores were 110-90, 110-90 and 98-91, a fittingly emphatic result for a fighter whose footwork, speed and sharp pressure defined her career.

The night carried the scale of a national celebration. Green and white filled the stands, Westlife performed “World of Our Own” and “You Raise Me Up,” and tens of thousands sang along beneath the phone lights. The mood softened during an a cappella version of “Grace,” before the national anthem rang out across the stadium.

Taylor entered to “All Hail King Jesus,” reflecting the faith she has spoken openly about throughout her career. She stretched her arms wide, sang along and tried to absorb the final walk to the ring as fireworks lit the Dublin sky. Around 80 per cent of the crowd had never attended a boxing event before, but came to honor a fighter who helped move women's sport beyond the margins.

Pili arrived with a 12-0 record and a previous European title, but had never faced an opponent close to Taylor's level. After a quiet opening, Taylor accelerated in the second round, landing rapid combinations and repeatedly beating Pili to the punch during the two-minute rounds. She retires as an Olympic champion, a two-weight world champion and one of women's professional boxing's pioneers, with 26 wins and one defeat.