Katie Taylor has revealed she considered hanging up her gloves before her incredible boxing career had even really taken off.
In an interview with RTÉ Radio 1’s Inside Sport, Taylor discussed the multiple highs and occasional lows that accompanied one of Ireland’s most storied sporting careers – one that will culminate in Saturday’s sold-out clash with Flora Pili at Croke Park.
The Bray fighter was just ascending to the top of the amateur game in 2006 when the International Olympic Committee revealed the new events that would be added to the Beijing Games two years later.
Women’s sport was evidently expanding – obvious by the addition of the women’s 3000m steeplechase, women’s BMX, two women’s fencing events and women’s marathon swimming, but the lobbying for women’s boxing to be added had failed with organisers concerned by its global appeal.
Taylor, looking at another four-year wait before she could even attempt to chase her dream never mind realising it, seriously considered stepping away.
“When I started boxing as a nine or 10-year-old, women’s boxing wasn’t even a sanctioned sport in Ireland,” Taylor said.
“So obviously there’s the story where I had to pretend to be a boy to get a few fights. Thank God that these girls now don’t have to actually go through that same process. There are so many opportunities out there.
Katie Taylor says it is ‘business as usual’ for her this week, despite the fact it is her farewell fight
📺 Watch press conference now on RTÉ Playerhttps://t.co/8r55LhgRBk pic.twitter.com/lLO7zQaF65
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 1, 2026
“I’m looking at these young girls coming up who are five, six-time Irish champions or whatever, they’re only 14 or 15 years of age. It’s remarkable, so much young talent coming through. I’m so excited to watch their careers. I’m just so excited to watch their progress, really.
“I determined very early on not to try and progress my career through talking and I just quietly tried to be the best I could be.
“Eventually the doors were opening as people actually watched me fight, I let my excellence do the talking rather than just speak or talk about it.
“Thankfully, I had an amazing family who were fighting for me on my behalf as well.
“But it was definitely very, very tough along the way.
“There are times where I thought ‘this is not going to be, women’s boxing is never going to be included into the Olympic Games. This is not going to happen.’
“When we’re trying to get women’s boxing included in the Games – when I was told it was going to be in Beijing, (then) when I heard the news it wasn’t going to be in Beijing, I think that was the closest I’ve ever been to actually quitting the sport,” said Taylor, who instead analysed the boxing from China for RTÉ.
“I was thinking ‘is this ever going to happen?’ I had to wait another four years to actually get my chance and four years is a very, very long time in the life of an athlete.
“But thankfully I pushed on from there and obviously the rest is history.”
Katie Taylor in Republic of Ireland action just a few weeks after discovering women’s boxing was not going to be part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
A year after the Beijing games concluded, women’s boxing was added to the Olympic programme – but even that needed a bit of fortune to allow Taylor’s career to pan out as it has.
While the most recent Paris Games had six weight classes for women fighters, London 2012 was limited to three, but Taylor was able to compete in the lightweight 60kg class. A gold medal followed and Katie-mania really took off.
It took off from the start of the Games really as her quarter-final win over GB’s Natasha Jones produced a decibel level of 113.7 in the arena. For comparison, a jet engine generally reaches a decibel level of 140.
That support has continued to follow Taylor worldwide, from disappointment in Rio, to Wembley and Madison Square Garden and all over America as professional world titles were secured.
Now those loyal supporters will fill out the home of the GAA; a venue where boxing has long been associated with Muhammad Ali and his bout with Alvin Lewis in 1972. But Ali could only draw 18,000 – Taylor has confounded a lot of estimates by selling out Croke Park quicker than a flurry of her jabs.
For her, that was never a doubt; in Ireland, the public get behind one of their own regardless of gender.
“I’m just blown away by the support over the last few months. Blown away by 80,000 tickets being sold in a matter of minutes.
Boxing at Croke Park has been long associated with Muhammed Ali’s clash with Alvin Lewis, but that will change on Saturday
“I think we can be very, very proud of that as a nation as well. I’m not sure there’s any other country in the world that will turn out like that for a female athlete.
“So I’m blown away by the support. I’m so grateful and all I can say to everyone is just a huge thank you.
“Thank you for all the support over the years. I want to put on a performance that’s worthy of everyone’s support. I just want to put on a career-best performance for my last fight.”
“The people have travelled around the world to watch me fight,” she added.
“They were there with me before London as an amateur. They were there during the London Olympics, They were with me when Amhrán na bhFiann rang out in the Excel Arena.
“They were with me through the heartbreak of Rio and they stayed with me through the pro game as well. They travelled to London, to Wembley, to Manchester, Leeds, Boston, Brooklyn, Dallas, New York.
“They’re with me here in Croke Park as well. I just can’t believe the support I’ve actually received over the last few years and I’m really blown away by it.
“I’m so grateful. I’m so proud to be from this nation. I think it’s not a stretch to say that this nation has played a huge role in establishing female professional boxing as well.
“Because you can’t have a pro career in a vacuum. You need the support from people, you need to fill out stadiums to have a successful pro career.
“You need to be able to progress your career and so this nation has travelled around the world to actually watch me fight.”
Watch Katie Taylor v Flora Pili in their undisputed World Super Lightweight title bout live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Saturday from 8pm, listen live on RTÉ 2fm or follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app