‘Every Female Fighter Owes So Much to Katie’ – Hearn Hails Taylor’s Unmatched Legacy
Eddie Hearn believes every female boxer of the current generation owes a debt to Katie Taylor.
The Irish Icon will bring her groundbreaking career to an end when she steps into the ring for the final time against Flora Pili in the fittingly grand surrounds of Croke Park on Saturday.
But while the 80,000-strong audience will be there to celebrate one of Ireland’s and boxing’s greatest sporting careers, the Matchroom boss believes Taylor’s impact goes far beyond the records, titles and sell-out arenas.
The Essex fight maker says the Olympic champion has single-handily changed the boxing landscape, creating a scene that will allow females to thrive in a sport that wasn’t always kind to them.
“Every female fighter of today’s generation owes so much to Katie,” Hearn said in Dublin.
“Without her, boxing wouldn’t be in the Olympics and it wouldn’t be the size it is now commercially.”
It is a legacy that stretches from Taylor’s amateur career through to her historic professional journey.
The Bray woman is the reason females are allowed to box in the Olympics and the London 2012 Olympic Champion drove women’s pro boxing into the mainstream.
“She’s broken viewership records and sold out some of the biggest arenas around the world.
“She’s inspired a new generation of fighters and she’s shown young girls and women that it’s possible to break down barriers.
“It’s possible to have a future in the sport now thanks to Katie.”
That influence will be on full display at Croke Park on Saturday.
Hearn expects the huge numbers of people attending Taylor’s farewell to have never previously experienced a live boxing event, underlining the unique appeal she has developed outside the traditional boxing audience.
“I’d say 90 per cent of people coming to the show haven’t watched a live boxing event before,” Hearn adds of a bout that will be broadcast on RTE and DAZN.
“All the generations of families and communities will come. It’ll be special.
“This is the ultimate and it’ll top everything. This will be the greatest thing that I’ve ever done.”
The man who has promoted the Wicklow wonders wonderful career believes the ring walk alone will be something that will go down in Irish folklore.
“That moment when she walks out will be iconic,” he said.
“When she walks out it’ll be one of the most iconic moments in the history of boxing.
“It’ll be one of the most iconic sporting moments in Irish history.”
Taylor’s career has already produced plenty of those moments.
Hearn pointed to her Wembley debut, her first world championship fight and her first meeting with Amanda Serrano as some of the defining occasions.
But he believes Saturday night has the potential to surpass them all.
