WBC to honour Katie Taylor with Queen of the Celts belt at farewell

Katie Taylor will receive a specially created World Boxing Council Queen of the Celts belt after the final professional fight of her career on September 5 at Croke Park in Dublin. The honour will mark the Irish boxer’s farewell appearance in the ring.

Taylor will meet undefeated French challenger Flora Pili while defending her IBF, WBA and WBO super-lightweight titles. The bout will also be for the vacant WBC super-lightweight championship, giving Taylor the chance to become a three-time undisputed world champion if she wins.

The presentation recognises a career that began with Taylor becoming Ireland’s first Olympic boxing gold medallist at the 2012 London Games. She later became an undisputed champion in two weight divisions and established herself as one of the leading figures in women’s boxing.

The farewell will bring professional boxing back to Croke Park for the first time since Muhammad Ali fought at the Dublin venue in 1972. More than 80,000 fans are expected to attend the event, which has been described as a major moment in Irish sporting history.

The belt has been designed around symbols associated with Ireland and Celtic heritage. Its features include an Irish harp, Celtic cross, Trinity knot, Celtic crown, warrior queen, shield, knot border, triskele and shamrock. Together, they represent Taylor’s heritage, leadership, courage, strength, continuity and national pride.

The fight will be shown worldwide on DAZN. Viewers in Ireland will also have free-to-air access through RTÉ2, RTÉ Player and 2FM, ensuring Taylor’s final professional chapter is available to audiences at home and abroad.