*This content was translated by AI.
'The cross-dressing boxer,' boxing hero Katie Taylor (40), ended her glittering career with a victory amidst the cheers of fans.
On the 5th, Taylor secured a unanimous decision victory (100-90, 100-90, 98-91) against Flora Philley (29) in a super-lightweight title bout held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, ascending to the position of unified champion across three weight classes.
Earlier, Britain's 'The Sun' reported on the 3rd that "Taylor, who had to disguise herself as a boy to box, has now become a fighter earning more than 99% of male boxers."
According to media reports, Taylor began boxing at age 12 following her older brothers. At the time, there were no women's amateur tournaments, so she used the pseudonym 'Katie.' She competed in matches while pretending to be a man, hiding her long hair under headgear.
Taylor made her professional debut in 2016 after signing with promoter Eddie Hearn, completely overturning the gender pay gap in boxing.
Hearn revealed an anecdote about his experience with Taylor. During a past match against Cindy Serrano held in Boston, although Taylor sold most of the tickets, her purse was only one-third that of male boxer Trevin Palmer who competed in the same event. When Taylor protested the unfairness, Hearn advised, "It's because he is a man; you must change this reality."
Hearn stated, "Currently, Taylor earns more money than 99% of active male fighters." In fact, Taylor opened the era of a $1 million (about 1.3 billion won) purse when she faced Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2022. In their rematch in 2024, she secured $6 million (about 80 thousand won). This amount is 1,000 times greater than the £6,000 (about 10 million won) Hearn paid Taylor for her Wembley Arena debut.
Hearn revealed that even his father, who was initially skeptical about women's boxing, was amazed after watching Taylor's debut match.
Taylor, who silenced prejudice with her skill, won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and left the ring with a professional record of 26 wins and 1 loss. The 80,000 tickets for her retirement venue at Croke Park sold out within one hour of sales opening.
Immediately after the match, Taylor commented, "A perfect ending to a dream-like career," adding, "The Irish people gifted me an unforgettable retirement fight."
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*This content was translated by AI.
