Traditionally on the first weekend in September we used to have the All-Ireland minor and senior hurling finals at Croke Park. This weekend it’s a different kind of final with Katie Taylor having her 27th and final professional fight at the famous stadium on Jones Road. Katie, who is 40, has lost only one professional fight, that was at Three Arena in Dublin in May 2023 when she was beaten by Chantelle Cameron, but six months later Taylor won the re-match, also in Dublin, Her opponent on Saturday will be the unbeaten 29 year-old Flora Pilli Mille from the Moselle region of France. She has won all 12 of her professional fights, but her wins have come against limited opposition, at least in comparison to the level at which Taylor has been competing.
Pille represented France throughout her amateur and professional career, winning the French Youth championship and Senior National titles in 2015 and 2019. Back in 2017 Mille fought in Dublin, appearing in an international round-robin tournament at the National Stadium, where she lost to Kellie Harrington.
After a successful 15-year amateur career spanning 189 fights Taylor turned professional in 2016 and her first pro fight was a win over Poland’s Karina Kopinska at the Wembley Arena in November 2016. Katie said: ‘‘Emotionally it has been a tough year for me. I lost my sister-in-law and my grandmother. Confirmation that the fight will go ahead at Croke Park has given the whole family a big boost.’’
It will be the first boxing event in Croke Park in 54 years; the last was in July 1972 when Muhammad Ali beat Al “Blue” Lewis. That fight was promoted by legendary Kerry-born, London publican Butty Sugrue. Normally promoters select opponents they think their boxer can win and Mille is only ranked number 4 in the super-lightweight rankings by the WBA, so hopefully it will be winning farewell for Katie. A strong undercard, featuring eight fights and a host of Irish names, will precede Taylor’s farewell bout at Croker. And there might also be a few surprise musical acts.
