The Last Press Conference Of A Legendary Career
Right then. The final press conference is done, and if you were waiting for Katie Taylor to suddenly get emotional about Saturday, you were waiting for nothing. Taylor and Flora Pili came face to face for the last time on Tuesday at The Helix in Dublin, and the champion gave the media exactly what she has given them for twenty years — calm, manners, and absolute clarity about the job. Her line said it all: the most important thing is that she gets her hand raised on Saturday night. That's it. No poetry about legacy, no tears about the goodbye. Just the win.
And that, if you know anything about Katie Taylor, is the most reassuring sign you could ask for in fight week. We covered the full schedule in Monday's fight week piece — the weigh-in comes Friday at Trinity College Dublin, and then it's Croke Park, 80,000 people, and the last dance with every super lightweight belt on the line.
Pili Didn't Blink Either
Make no mistake, the Frenchwoman played her part properly. Pili sat there unbeaten, eleven years younger, and completely unbothered by the occasion — which is exactly what you would expect from a fighter with nothing to lose and a champion's belts to win. Only two of her twelve fights have happened outside France, but she has not travelled to Dublin for a send-off. Her camp have said it all week: they are here to spoil the party.
Why The Quiet Champion Wins Fight Week
Let's not beat around the bush — press conferences don't land punches. But they do tell you where a fighter's head is, and Taylor's head is where it has always been: on the process. A nervous, emotional Taylor at the top table would have worried me with 80,000 waiting. What Dublin got instead was a champion at complete peace with her ending. That is worth a round on its own come Saturday.
Luke's Verdict
Nothing from The Helix changes the pick. Pili wins some early minutes while the stadium noise swallows everything, then the class and the ring brain take over — there are levels between a good unbeaten European champion and the greatest of all time. Taylor on points, clear on the cards, and undisputed on her way out the door. Full card details on our fight cards page.