Katie Taylor has been at the forefront of women’s boxing truly taking off, hitting the mainstream, and headlining major venues. Some fellow greats laid the groundwork prior, like Cecilia Brækhus, but Taylor’s spin out from Olympic gold medallist to hard-hitting, relentless pro boxer generated unprecedented levels of interest.

Now, the 39-year-old is looking to finish her career in style. The Irish pugilist hopes to have her 27th and final professional bout in Dublin. This is yet to be finalised, and while her retirement announcement and last booking remain up in the air, rumours continue to swirl around a rumble of great interest and for a lot of cash in the US.

Seeing Out Her Boxing Career

 

In 2016, Taylor turned professional with Matchroom Boxing, more than willing to make her the headliner she deserved to be. By 2017, she’d won the WBA lightweight title, and then she went to Madison Square Garden in New York to unify. That rumble against Delfine Persoon was one of the best advertisements for women’s boxing.

That was just her 14th fight. Taylor then stepped up to claim the super lightweight title, held the unified lightweight belts until October 2022, and then went up to super lightweight again to become undisputed against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin. This was her first loss, but just six months later, in November 2023, she got them back.

Since then, it’s been all about Amanda Serrano. Seen as the two best female boxers on the planet, the trilogy was of great interest throughout, with the second fight being the real boxing headliner of the embarrassing Paul-Tyson exhibition at the top of the Netflix bill. The trilogy ended with her winning all three fights to hold a 25-1 record.

Even with the next bout tipped to be her last, a decade since turning pro, there’s plenty of interest in Taylor meeting another female legend of combat sports. Rumours have swirled about a potential boxing match between Taylor and Ronda Rousey. The returning UFC fighter faced Gina Carano in May, and may be keen for more soon.

A Bout Worthy of the Las Vegas Lights

 

Taylor has fought in New York, Texas, Boston, Cardiff, Dublin, and across England, so she’s never been averse to travelling for her boxing. Given her prowess and importance to the sport, though, it could be seen as odd that she hasn’t headlined in Las Vegas yet. It’s the entertainment capital of the world for a great many reasons.

Not only does it host Formula One, but it’s also the home of the UFC, boasts a top-tier set of music and variety residencies across its venues, and, of course, is the American home of casino gaming. It’s the city known for its casinos, with many casino games found online seeking to emulate the Sin City experience.

From games like 3 Card Brag to the blend of brand and feature in Breaking Bad Roulette Mega Fire Blaze, it’s all with an eye on what people expect from an entertainment colossus like Vegas. Of course, this is best shown with Vegas Blackjack, which offers the table rules familiar to Vegas visitors on a classy, clean-cut table.

People love going to Vegas and are more than happy to go all-in on a major sporting event. Boxing has long held huge fights here, including the too-long-awaited Mayweather vs Pacquiao, Álvarez vs Crawford, and the Álvaro bouts with Golovkin. Taylor deserves her name on that list, and an exhibition against Rousey would be a huge draw.

Katie Taylor will turn 40 this year, so it makes sense that retirement is very much on the agenda. That said, if a Taylor-Rousey rumble in Vegas is on the cards, it’d be an incredible way to bookend a hard-fought career.