‘Every girl now wants to be a boxer’: excitement in Katie Taylor’s home town for her valedictory bout

<p>Irish boxer lauded for her tenacity and inspiration before her last fight in front of 80,000 people at Croke Park</p><p>When<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/katie-taylor"> </a>Katie Taylor steps into the ring on Saturday night to defend her titles and once again enthral Ireland, there will be a bittersweet tinge. After a singular career that pioneered women’s boxing, the super-lightweight champion and Olympic gold medallist is bowing out. She is 40 and it is to be her final bout.</p><p>“The end of an era, isn’t it?” said Trevor McMahon, her brother-in-law and founder of a gym where she trains. “It’ll be an amazing night but it’ll also be a little bit sad. Everything she did, it might not ever be achieved again.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/05/katie-taylor-boxing-valedictory-bout-croke-park-ireland">Continue reading...</a>