Fans at Katie Taylor’s Trinity College weigh-in left in no doubt the champ is ready to rumble

Katie Taylor brought boxing’s bombastic travelling circus to the prestigious seat of learning that is Trinity College on Friday evening.

The venue was a fitting backdrop for the final weigh-in of an athlete who has spent her career rewriting every textbook about women in sport.

Taylor will fight in front of more than 80,000 spectators in Croke Park on Saturday night, the 40-year-old headlining a sell-out show in one of Europe’s largest stadiums less than 30 years on from having to masquerade as a boy to participate in the sport.

Her weigh-in took place in the front square of the college, a visually spectacular event with a temporary stage erected at the base of the Campanile, the bell tower in the centre of the square.

Taylor came in at 139.6lbs, a fraction lighter than her opponent Flora Pili, who made weight at 139.9lbs for the superlightweight bout.

Dressed in a pine green leather jacket with a train-track-sized gold zipper down the middle and her name printed across the chest, Taylor gazed out over the square after weighing in, savouring the last drops of her splendid career.

“My mind is very much focused on the fight at this stage,” she said from the platform in Trinity.

“I have a job to do tomorrow night; I have a very tough challenger in front of me. But I’ve been saying all along that I’ve built my reputation on always taking a tough fight, so why treat my last fight any differently? It is going to be a tough challenge, but this is what I was born for; this is what I was made for.

“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 go in and display the gift that God has put in me. What a privilege.”

A chorus of Olé, Olé, Olé briefly went up from the crowd assembled in the square.

Among the crowd scattered across the college was her dad, Pete, on an evening when all 20 fighters on the card weighed in.

Emmet Brennan, born and bred a puck away from Croke Park, wore a Dublin cap for his moment on stage while Thomas Carty donned a Dubs jersey with the number 95 emblazoned across the back.

The only face-off that even threatened to boil over was when Molly McMann and Sylwia Doligala went nose to nose, but truth be told there have been far rowdier nights in the university’s Pavilion Bar after a casual game of midweek cricket than there was among 20 revved up boxers in the square on Friday.

Taylor and Pili were the last two fighters on stage, and as has been the case at events all week, the 29-year-old French woman was afforded a warm reception by the Irish crowd.

Both boxers shook hands after their face-off and while Pili headed for the exit, Taylor stayed around and thanked the fans for their support.

“I’m so excited, to be honest. I’ve been saying all week how grateful I am for this opportunity. I just can’t believe it, I’ve been dreaming about this for the last few years and we are now one day away from making this fight happen.

“One day away from ending my career at my dream venue in Croke Park in front of all of these amazing people. I’m blown away; I can’t wait to step in there.

“I’ve been saying for the last few months I want to put on a performance worthy of everybody’s support over the last few years. Guys, I’m just so grateful for these last few amazing years in the ring – you guys have carried me throughout the Rio Olympics, the London Olympics and throughout my pro career – I’m so grateful.”

As Taylor talked to her management team backstage after the weigh-in, several other boxers on the card were made to wait at the exit by security until the Bray fighter had hopped into her chauffeured car. There has been no doubt all week whose show this is.

But before she left the stage for the final time on Friday, Taylor raised her hands again to the crowd before slowly turning around to take in a full 360-degree view of the square. Yes, it was real.

“Tomorrow is going to be an amazing celebration and an amazing night,” she added.

“I have the chance to become a three-time undisputed champion again. I’m super proud to represent this amazing country. I love the support I have got from this country.”

A huge cheer from the crowd.

Followed by a short pause from Katie Taylor.

And then she signed off.

“Let’s go, one more time.”

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