{"id":612818,"date":"2026-09-03T02:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T02:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/612818\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T02:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T02:32:16","slug":"katie-taylors-final-open-workout-shows-a-glimpse-of-her-remarkable-legacy-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/612818\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Taylor\u2019s final open workout shows a glimpse of her remarkable legacy \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Katie Taylor<\/a>\u2019s public workout started with a standing ovation and ended with the Bray boxer lacing her glove on the hand of a 10-year-old girl. Legacy. Let there be no doubt, Taylor is holding the pen that writes the script of her final chapter this week. <\/p>\n

Mahony Hall in the Helix at Dublin City University is more accustomed to graduation ceremonies, but on Wednesday evening the venue was repurposed as a temporary boxing arena for another leg of an Irish sporting farewell tour.<\/p>\n

It was all bright lights, loud music and brash ring announcers, and after the undercard fighters had their moment in the ring, it was time for Taylor and Flora Pili. <\/p>\n

The French fighter \u2013 sporting red, white and blue braids \u2013 emerged first and received a respectful welcome from the Dublin crowd. She spent about six minutes shadowboxing. She certainly didn\u2019t carry the air of a fighter preparing to play her part in cementing anyone else\u2019s legacy, instead focused on building her own. <\/p>\n

It was just after 7pm when Taylor emerged from behind the curtain. Before she had stepped through the ropes, everybody in the arena was on their feet. <\/p>\n

Sporting a dark jumper and black shorts, Taylor went through some pad work with her coach Ross Enamait, moving around the ring in effortless unison. Bam, bam, bam. Move. And on it went. <\/p>\n

The workout was soundtracked by Kool & The Gang, with Celebration booming out from the PA system. After about seven minutes, the pair stopped and Enamait yanked off Taylor\u2019s gloves.<\/p>\n

\"KatieKatie Taylor gives Clodagh Keating some tips as the pair spar during Wednesday’s open workout. Photograph: James Crombie\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Then it happened. Taylor moved towards the ropes and helped push them apart to allow 10-year-old Clodagh Keating enter the ring. They hugged and, suddenly overcome by the enormity of where she was and who was standing in front of her, tears started to stream down the young Dubliner\u2019s face. <\/p>\n

Taylor gave her a reassuring pat on the arm and started to put the glove on Clodagh\u2019s right hand. Seconds later, Clodagh Keating was sparring with Katie Taylor in the ring. At that point, it wasn\u2019t just Clodagh crying in Mahony Hall.<\/p>\n

Taylor has talked a lot about her legacy this week, about inspiring young girls. In her final public workout, she was passing the baton, quite literally putting gloves on the hands of the next generation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a chance to meet Clodagh, who got into the ring, this is what it\u2019s all about for me,\u201d said Taylor afterwards.<\/p>\n

As she spoke, Clodagh was back up in the gallery with her family, everybody in convulsions with the shock painted across their faces. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to enjoy it. I\u2019m so grateful that I get to do this,\u201d Taylor added. \u201cI actually love every single day; today, the last few days, the last ring walk, and just looking back at the last three years in the ring. I\u2019m overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time next week, she will be a former boxer. Retired. That is perhaps the only certainty. Pili is 11 years Taylor\u2019s junior and is unbeaten as a pro with 12 wins.<\/p>\n

For her, Saturday is not about being part of Taylor\u2019s coronation. This fight represents an incredible opportunity for the French pugilist to make her mark on boxing history. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t going to be a walk in the park,\u201d said Taylor. \u201cI purposely chose this tough challenge for my last fight. <\/p>\n

\u201cI built my reputation taking tough fights my whole career, so why treat my last fight any differently?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel great. I think 40 is the new 30, isn\u2019t it? I obviously just turned 40 a few weeks ago, but I feel great, thank God. It\u2019s been an amazing few months preparing for the fight. I love a tough fight, I love a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that a roar went up from the crowd, all still on their feet. Taylor tapped her hand on her heart in appreciation of the support. It\u2019s a two-way thing.<\/p>\n

\"Taylor'sTaylor’s opponent, Flora Pili, during Wednesday’s open workout. Photograph: Gary Carr\/Inpho <\/p>\n

\u201cThe last three years, my whole career, you guys have been with me from the start,\u201d she said to the crowd. \u201cYou were with me throughout the London 2012 Olympics, were with me through the heartbreak of Rio, and when I went into the pros. I\u2019m so grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that, Taylor was off, having provided one girl with a moment she will recall for the rest of her days. \u2018Did I tell you about the time I sparred with Katie Taylor?\u2019 It\u2019s quite the line to have in your locker. <\/p>\n

One of the main undercard attractions on Saturday will see Dublin\u2019s Thomas Carty fight Dave Allen from Doncaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always bring a mad crowd so God know what Croker is going to be like,\u201d said Carty after his public workout.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is absolutely no way in hell he wants to win this fight more than I do, in front of this crowd on a historic night.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoll on the Carty Party on Saturday night, and then we\u2019ll all give Katie a proper send off.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the most energetic workout of the evening was delivered by Molly McCann from Liverpool. <\/p>\n

Asked about the vigour she brought to the ring during the session, she said: \u201cThis is a once in a lifetime thing and I don\u2019t take it for granted. It\u2019s f**king Dublin isn\u2019t it, so why wouldn\u2019t you be buzzin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Katie Taylor\u2019s Dublin this week, that is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Katie Taylor\u2019s public workout started with a standing ovation and ended with the Bray boxer lacing her glove…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":612819,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[764,42,10688,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-612818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-croke-park","tag-headlines","tag-katie-taylor","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}