CHAMPION KATIE TAYLOR and challenger Flora Pili were safely under the 140-pound limit this morning and cleared to compete for the undisputed light-welterweight title at Croke Park tomorrow night.
After having their official weights registered in private earlier today, the Irish icon and her French visitor took to the stage in the heart of a sun-kissed Trinity College for a ceremonial weigh-in this evening.
A ticketed crowd of hundreds serenaded Taylor for the penultimate time ahead of tomorrow’s final farewell, with the Bray woman [25-1, 6KOs] announced at 139.6lbs as she took to the stage in front of the university’s Campanile bell tower.
Pili [12-0, 2KOs], the taller, longer, and naturally larger woman, was three tenths of a pound heavier at 139.9lbs, but each fighter is free to compete for all the marbles at GAA Headquarters tomorrow.
Katie Taylor weighs in at 139.6lbs, while challenger Flora Pili clocks in at 139.9lbs for Saturday's fight at Croke Park pic.twitter.com/hq03SFrZYx
Having already had their official weights confirmed, both boxers remained clothed on the breezy Trinity stage, their final stare-down a virtual non-event. Taylor, Pili and their respective teams shook hands before the French corner departed, with Taylor remaining onstage to deliver her final words before tomorrow night’s historic event at Croke Park.
Heartily thanking the fans in attendance and the Irish public as she has all week, Taylor once more grew emotional, albeit she held back her tears more effectively than she had managed to during several interviews on Tuesday.
She insisted, however, that her mind was “very much focused on the fight at this stage”.
Taylor and Pili face off at Trinity College, Dublin. Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
“I have a job to do tomorrow night,” she added. “I have a very tough challenger in front of me.
“God has put this gift in me since I was a kid and I have to perform tomorrow night. I have one last night to get in there and display the gift that God has put in me, so what a privilege.”
Thanking the crowd once more, Taylor added: “Tomorrow is going to be an amazing celebration, an amazing night. I have a chance to become a three-time undisputed champion.
“I’m super-proud to represent this amazing country. Let’s go, one more time.”
Weighing in for the chief-support bout, Dublin’s Thomas Carty [11-1, 9KOs] tipped tipped the scales at 256.2lbs for his 10-round heavyweight contest against Englishman Dave Allen [27-9-2, 20KOs]. Doncaster native Allen was the far heavier man at 279.5, but still lighter than his most recent outing, a points win over journeyman Dan Garber in late July.
Limerick’s Paddy Donovan [15-2, 11KOs] weighed 146.3lbs for his all-Irish welterweight meeting with Tyrone McKenna [25-6-1, 8KOs], who was slightly heavier at 146.8. Donovan, closing in on a second world-title shot, is the heavy favourite to defeat his friend and longtime sparring partner McKenna.
Paddy Donovan puts his world title aspirations on the line against Tyrone McKenna 😤👑#TaylorPili | Sept 5 | Live on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/jEisnEMS86
Ahead of the first fight on the main card, meanwhile, Irish Olympian Emmet Brennan [6-0] was the significantly lighter man for his contest with leading Matchroom prospect Taylor Bevan [9-0, 8KOs], who weighed in above the super-middleweight limit at 169.3lbs (within the rules for their non-title bout).
Bevan’s manager, Brian Peters, has vowed to double Brennan’s purse should the local hero upset his Southampton-born Welshman at Croke Park.
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'I'm super-proud to represent this amazing country. Let's go, one more time'
CHAMPION KATIE TAYLOR and challenger Flora Pili were safely under the 140-pound limit this morning and cleared to compete for the undisputed light-welterweight title at Croke Park tomorrow night.
After having their official weights registered in private earlier today, the Irish icon and her French visitor took to the stage in the heart of a sun-kissed Trinity College for a ceremonial weigh-in this evening.
A ticketed crowd of hundreds serenaded Taylor for the penultimate time ahead of tomorrow’s final farewell, with the Bray woman [25-1, 6KOs] announced at 139.6lbs as she took to the stage in front of the university’s Campanile bell tower.
Pili [12-0, 2KOs], the taller, longer, and naturally larger woman, was three tenths of a pound heavier at 139.9lbs, but each fighter is free to compete for all the marbles at GAA Headquarters tomorrow.
Having already had their official weights confirmed, both boxers remained clothed on the breezy Trinity stage, their final stare-down a virtual non-event. Taylor, Pili and their respective teams shook hands before the French corner departed, with Taylor remaining onstage to deliver her final words before tomorrow night’s historic event at Croke Park.
Heartily thanking the fans in attendance and the Irish public as she has all week, Taylor once more grew emotional, albeit she held back her tears more effectively than she had managed to during several interviews on Tuesday.
She insisted, however, that her mind was “very much focused on the fight at this stage”.
“I have a job to do tomorrow night,” she added. “I have a very tough challenger in front of me.
“God has put this gift in me since I was a kid and I have to perform tomorrow night. I have one last night to get in there and display the gift that God has put in me, so what a privilege.”
Thanking the crowd once more, Taylor added: “Tomorrow is going to be an amazing celebration, an amazing night. I have a chance to become a three-time undisputed champion.
“I’m super-proud to represent this amazing country. Let’s go, one more time.”
Weighing in for the chief-support bout, Dublin’s Thomas Carty [11-1, 9KOs] tipped tipped the scales at 256.2lbs for his 10-round heavyweight contest against Englishman Dave Allen [27-9-2, 20KOs]. Doncaster native Allen was the far heavier man at 279.5, but still lighter than his most recent outing, a points win over journeyman Dan Garber in late July.
Limerick’s Paddy Donovan [15-2, 11KOs] weighed 146.3lbs for his all-Irish welterweight meeting with Tyrone McKenna [25-6-1, 8KOs], who was slightly heavier at 146.8. Donovan, closing in on a second world-title shot, is the heavy favourite to defeat his friend and longtime sparring partner McKenna.
Ahead of the first fight on the main card, meanwhile, Irish Olympian Emmet Brennan [6-0] was the significantly lighter man for his contest with leading Matchroom prospect Taylor Bevan [9-0, 8KOs], who weighed in above the super-middleweight limit at 169.3lbs (within the rules for their non-title bout).
Bevan’s manager, Brian Peters, has vowed to double Brennan’s purse should the local hero upset his Southampton-born Welshman at Croke Park.
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