Katie Taylor Prepares for Dublin Farewell as the Shadow of a Superfight Looms

Katie Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs) stands at the end of her career. On Saturday, in front of a massive crowd in Dublin, the legend walks into a well-deserved retirement. She faces Flora Pili (12-0, 2 KOs) for her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring female super lightweight titles.

Taylor's career started 25 years ago as an amateur, but now she will make the walk one more time. While the title defense means a great deal, another holds a special distinction.

Residing at the top of the Ring pound-for-pound rankings means that Taylor is regarded as the best female boxer in the world. That puts her ahead of Claressa Shields, who is regarded by many as the greatest women's boxer in history. Taylor expressed tremendous respect for Shields, but thinks that her skill set would be the toughest for the GWOAT to counter.

Katie Taylor — IMAGO / Inpho Photography

Taylor praises Shields

After Taylor fights Pili in a couple of days, her spot on top of the pound-for-pound list will vanish. The same thing happened to Terence Crawford. Taylor believes that Shields is the heir to the throne.

“I don’t think you can actually look past Claressa. I think of her athleticism and how exciting she is. She’s so explosive. She’s an amazing athlete. She’s absolutely phenomenal. For me, I think Claressa Shields is absolutely the best. You can’t look past her," Taylor told The Ring.

Last week, Shields — always the businesswoman — started the conversation. In a sit-down interview, she discussed the possibility of a 157-pound catchweight fight. Taylor appeared somewhat intrigued.

“I’ll always consider every opportunity. But I am probably the smallest light welterweight in the history of boxing. I am very, very small for the weight. I would definitely consider every opportunity that comes my way, but who knows? You just want to get me out of retirement already!”

In essence, Taylor would fight Shields if the money was right. As a fighter, she's proven everything that she needed to. First, she compiled a record of 176-12-1 with 37 knockouts, which included an Olympic gold medal, five world amateur championships, and six European titles. Then, Taylor won multiple titles as a professional. She's fought some of the sport's best, including Amanda Serrano. With a secure resume, a fight against Shields would pad the bank account.

Taylor's blueprint

Despite her smallish stature, Taylor believes that she could use her greatest trait.

“I think I’m the one person in women’s boxing that can match her speed. I think that’s obviously been a huge advantage for her. I’d probably need strong legs because I’d have to move them a lot in the fight, keeping it on the outside. Yeah, I think just try and outbox her, really.”

Shields would present a large obstacle for Taylor: a gifted boxer with speed, reach, and knockout power. The promotion of the fight would be significant, and the whole sport would pay attention. Taylor knows she would enter the fight as the decided underdog. Yet, she doesn't seem to mind.

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