Katie Taylor On Her Journey From Pretending To Be A Boy To MSG

Katie Taylor once had to pretend she was a boy just to step into the ring.

The Irish champion disguised herself to compete in unsanctioned bouts before women's boxing gained legitimacy, ESPN reported ahead of her planned final fight at Croke Park in Dublin. Taylor's father entered her in youth tournaments under a male name because official female divisions did not exist in Ireland at the time.

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From Underground Bouts To Madison Square Garden

Taylor has since headlined Madison Square Garden twice and won world titles in two weight classes. She holds victories over Amanda Serrano, Chantelle Cameron, and Delfine Persoon in fights that drew mainstream crossover audiences.

The Bray native turned professional in 2016 after winning Olympic gold at London 2012 and five consecutive world amateur championships. Her first meeting with Serrano at MSG in 2022 became the first women's bout to headline the venue and broke the record for the highest-grossing female fight.

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Taylor's return to Croke Park would close the circle on a career that began in borrowed shorts and a flat cap. No date has been officially announced for the Dublin homecoming.

Reported via:

• ESPN Boxing — How Taylor went from posing a boy to headlining MSG