Claressa Shields has paid tribute to Katie Taylor's legacy in women's boxing and made clear she harbours no disappointment that the two champions never shared a ring during their storied careers.
Taylor is preparing for her final professional bout this weekend when she faces Flora Pili in an undisputed super-lightweight world title clash at Dublin's Croke Park. According to Forbes, the event is being presented as a sell-out 82,300-capacity stadium show branded "Once Upon A Time" and will be broadcast on DAZN, with the main card starting on 5 September.
The Irish icon, a two-weight undisputed world champion and Olympic gold medallist, will retire widely recognised as the greatest fighter in female boxing history. The bout marks a historic homecoming, as the BBC reports this is the first boxing event at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali defeated Al "Blue" Lewis in 1972.
Five-weight world champion Shields has arguably become the closest rival to Taylor's reputation at the pinnacle of the sport. Rather than viewing herself as second to the retiring champion, Shields has adopted a collaborative approach to ranking the pair.
Am I number one? I have always shared that with Katie. Me and her joke and say we're 1A and 1B, because we're both just that good.
Shields told Sky Sports that she does not fixate on pound-for-pound rankings, despite occupying a top-two position for the past five or six years. She emphasised mutual respect between the two fighters, noting that their different weight classes made a showdown impractical.
I'm not a person that really cares about the pound for pound list. I know that I've been number one or two on there for the past five, six years.
The three-time undisputed world champion acknowledged Taylor's warrior spirit and extended her best wishes for the Dublin event.
But I know that Katie, she's a great fighter. She's a warrior. And I wish her a happy retirement. And I hope that she gets a big knock out her last fight.
Shields, who has fought at heavier weight-classes than Taylor, explained that the pair's divergent career paths were a natural consequence of boxing's weight-class structure rather than a missed opportunity.
I'm not mad that it didn't happen. We had weight classes for a reason. And I respect her greatness and she respects mine.
She went on to defend her own legacy whilst honouring Taylor's achievements across their respective divisions.
I beat the best in my divisions, and she's beat the best in her divisions. I respect that. So no, I'm not upset that we never got to fight.
Shields expressed genuine admiration for watching Taylor's career unfold and reciprocated the respect Taylor has shown her.
I am happy to be able to watch her and her greatness. She's done the same for me. And like I said, I wish her a happy retirement.
Taylor enters Saturday's contest with a professional record of 25-1, having suffered her only career defeat against Chantelle Cameron in May 2023. According to Forbes, her opponent Flora Pili arrives unbeaten with a record of 12-0, including 2 knockouts.
Taylor's farewell bout will see her defend her WBA, WBO and IBF titles whilst competing for the vacant WBC belt in an undisputed super-lightweight title clash. The fight will be broadcast free-to-air in Ireland on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, ensuring maximum accessibility for her home audience.
Among Taylor's career highlights is a trilogy of victories over Puerto Rican great Amanda Serrano, the first of which saw the pair compete in the first ever women's boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden. Serrano herself has spoken warmly of Taylor's decision to retire on her own terms.
I think Katie's done what she wanted to do. I think this is her time. You can feel it, I've been 17 years in the sport. It's about time.
Serrano reflected on the shared history between the two fighters and the significance of their battles.
Me and Katie, we've made lots of money together, we made history together and big fights. I think she's done enough for the sport. She deserves this homecoming fight.
The Puerto Rican champion expressed optimism about Taylor's future beyond the ring.
I'm happy for her. I just can't wait to see her future when she's retired with her family life and all that good stuff. She deserves it.
What happens next
Taylor's farewell fight is confirmed for Saturday, 5 September 2026 at Croke Park in Dublin. According to Yahoo Sports, main-event ring walks are expected around 10pm BST, with the main card starting at 7pm BST. The bout will stream live on DAZN and be shown on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player in Ireland.
