Croke Park got the ending it wanted. In front of around 83,000 fans, Katie Taylor closed her professional career with a unanimous decision victory over Flora Pili, turning what already felt more like a national celebration than a normal fight night into a proper farewell.

Westlife performing before the main event only added to the concert-like atmosphere, but once the bell went Taylor was all business. At 40 years old she still looked sharp, quick and far too experienced for a very game Pili.

Katie Taylor Beats Flora Pili In Final Fight

Taylor (26-1-0) signed off with a unanimous decision over Pili (12-1-0), winning by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91.

Pili came to fight and deserves credit for that, but Taylor was simply too much for her. The speed was still there, particularly when Taylor put her combinations together, and there was remarkably little about the performance that suggested we were watching a 40-year-old boxer at the end of her career.

Taylor took the IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Super Light titles with the victory, and there could hardly have been a better setting in which to finish.

The emotional part came afterwards. Taylor walked around the ring acknowledging the crowd before leaving her gloves in the centre of the ring as Croke Park roared its approval. Boxing careers rarely get endings this tidy. Taylor got hers.

Paddy Donovan Stops Tyrone McKenna

Paddy Donovan (16-2-0) dealt with Tyrone McKenna (25-7-1) inside four rounds, winning by TKO after the fight was halted on the doctor’s advice.

McKenna had already been dropped in the second round and later suffered a cut over his right eye. By round four the doctor had seen enough. Donovan looked a level above for much of it and handled business without allowing McKenna’s experience to turn the fight into the sort of scrap he might have wanted.

Bevan And McGrail Keep Unbeaten Records

Taylor Bevan (10-0-0) stopped Emmet Brennan (6-1-0) by TKO in round six after a brutal fight for Brennan. He was down five times in total — twice in the third, once in the fifth and twice more in the sixth before it was finally stopped. Bevan didn’t just protect his unbeaten record, he made a statement doing it.

Joe McGrail (14-0-0) also stayed perfect, knocking out Matthew Boreland (7-1-0) in round five. A left hook to the body put Boreland down and he was counted out. Clean finish and another useful win for McGrail.

Undercard

The heavyweight meeting between David Allen (27-9-2) and Thomas Carty (11-1-0) came to a bizarre end in the opening round. Carty fell out of the ring and was unable to continue on the doctor’s advice. Official result: No Contest

Molly McCann moved to 5-0-0 with a unanimous decision over Sylwia Doligala (8-3-2).

Paul Ryan (12-2-0) outpointed Paddy Gallagher (17-7-1) over six rounds, taking a 58-55 points decision. There was some confusion afterwards when Gallagher was initially announced as the winner before the result was corrected in Ryan’s favour.

Bobbi Flood improved to 4-0-0 with a four-round points victory over Jack Swallow (4-14-1). Flood got the decision and kept his unbeaten professional record intact.

Adam Olaniyan (4-0-0) needed only one round against Matej Hudak (6-3-0). Olaniyan landed a right hand to the head, Hudak went down and was counted out for a first-round KO.

And that was it. Katie Taylor walked into Croke Park for the final fight of her career, won every scorecard and then left her gloves behind in the ring.

Ireland got its farewell to a boxing legend. Taylor got to leave on her own terms.