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Katie Taylor's Emotional Interview After Her Final Fight · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Katie Taylor, you are a three-time undisputed world champion. If
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: you can find the words, please tell Ireland and tell
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Croke Park what's going through your mind right now and
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: what on earth all of this feels like.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Croke Park.
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: We did it.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: We brought boxing back to Croke Park.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Everyone here, happy with me.
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: Before and under 2012.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: He was a referee when Rondle Bean ran out in
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: the XL Arena in 2012. He was with me through
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: the heartbreak of Rio. He stayed with me during Pro.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: He traveled.
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: He traveled around the world to watch me in Cardiff
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: and Manchester and Leeds.
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan. Now you're here with me, this amazing stadium.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: I don't know of any other country that would sell 80,000
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: tickets for female athletes. I'm convinced that Ireland is the
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: only country.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: You dreamt of this moment for so long, Katie, to
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: have a boxing ring here under the lights of Croke
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: Park for the fairytale farewell. In terms of the.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: Journey, the reality. Let me just look around for a second.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: Come on, Katie, get up.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Do you think it's safe to say, Katie, that you
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: absolutely saved the best till last?
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, she was actually a very awkward opponent, a
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: great opponent for me, so thank you so much to
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: her for being involved in this epic night. Just a
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: few thank yous, Jamie. A thank you to my team,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: Brian Peters, Tomas Rohan, Eddie Hearn and the bathroom team.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: It's great.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: It's crazy to think when there's money involved but I
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: always feel like they have my best interests at heart
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: they're in it more for me than themselves thank you
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: so much for taking the risk I don't think I
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: could have imagined these last 10 years I couldn't imagine
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: doing something like this to my coach Ross I called
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: my coach Ross After one depressing evening after the Rio Olympics,
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: I reached out to him during my lowest moments when
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: I fell out of love with boxing. He allowed me
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: to come over for a couple of weeks in Connecticut
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: and my love for my sport rekindled. And that was
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: probably one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. Thank
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: you so much. Thank you so much, Ross, for your dedication,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: your sacrifice, your commitment. your knowledge throughout these last 10 years.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: It's been an amazing education. But as you know, my
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: dad is here somewhere.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: My dad was... My dad was.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: The first person who brought me to the boxing gym
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: as a 10-year-old. He taught me how to fight. And
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: he led me to five world championships, gold medals, six Europeans,
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: five EUs, the European Games, and an Olympic title. And...
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: None of this would have been possible without his brilliant coach.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: And women's boxing in this country wouldn't be where it
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: is without his contributions over the years. So thanks for everything, Dad.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: I love you.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: My mom. When you think about faithfulness and being with
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: your truth, sick and tender, ups and downs, There's nothing
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: like an Irish nanny. But you've been more than that.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: You've been a source of strength, a source of wisdom,
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: a source of guidance throughout all the hard times, the
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: good times. And I doubt we'll ever know the effect
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: of all your prayers for me down through the years.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: None of this would be possible without your sacrifice and commitment.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: So you're the absolute best, man. Thank you so much. My...
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: My family as a whole, my two brothers, my sister, Sarah, Peter, Lee.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: We've been on some adventure. And imagine what it's like
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: for them watching their little sister get punched for a living.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: And imagine this all started in a little kitchen in
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: Oakwood where we was punching the hell out of each other.
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: It's been.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: It's been such a tough year for the family. Our sister, Nicola,
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Lee's wife, passed away with cancer this year, and she
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: was my super fan. And she loved fighting. It's not
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: the same without her. And a few weeks later, our
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: grandmother passed away as well. She was one of the
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: greatest people we've ever met. I know she's looking down.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: On her.
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: Eye.
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: My husband, Sean.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: These last couple of years with you by my side
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: has been the best couple of years of my life.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: And you gave me a new joy and a happiness.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: I'm actually looking forward to retirement for the first time.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: I can't wait for this new season. You're the absolute best.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: I love you, babe. Most importantly, I just want to
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: give thanks to God for putting this gift to me
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: as a child, giving me the talent and just giving
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: me the strength to achieve it. As everyone knows, Sam
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: 18 is my favorite Sam. I've taken that stand as
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: God's promised it to me throughout my whole career. And
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: it's God with arms of strength. He makes my way perfect.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: He makes my feet like the feet.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: Of a deer.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: He trains my hands for battle. My arms can bend
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: a bow, bronze. You give me a shield of victory
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: and your right hand sustains me. You stoop down to
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: make me great. So thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord,
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: for all we've accomplished together. I give you all the
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: glory and the honor for it. Thank you so much, everyone.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: It's a joy.
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Casey Taylor.