Dunne: Pioneer Taylor 'kicked that door down'
RTÉ · RTÉ Sport · 2026-09-04T12:30:25+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Former WBA super bantamweight world champion Bernard Dunne believes Katie Taylor's Croke Park fight has become an event of cultural significance that will leave a legacy for generations to come.
Taylor brings the curtain down on a barrier-breaking career against French opponent Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Dublin on Saturday night.
It's a fairytale finish to a remarkable sporting journey.
Dunne, who will be an analyst for RTÉ's television coverage of the fight, says the Bray woman has achieved things that have changed the sporting landscape forever.
"I think it's testament to Katie and her team, and her family, that she's achieved what she's achieved and the impact that she's made," he told RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland.
"From an eight or nine-year-old kid trying to get involved in boxing, trying to get an opportunity to fight somebody, not even having that chance at that age to then go on and... I think it's five world titles, Olympic gold medal, six European titles, and then go on as a professional athlete and to achieve as much as she has.
"In her last bout to have one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Croke Park - and if we're being honest with this, I know there's a lot of support but everybody's going to celebrate Katie Taylor's life really and her complete career."
Dunne elaborated on the impact Taylor's career has had, not just on female boxers, but on the country as a whole.
"It's nearly a cultural piece, you know, it's like it's an Irish identity piece that she's represented our country the way she has throughout the world," he added.
"She's fought against the odds, she's been triumphant against great challenges. For me, her legacy will be that she has opened and paved the pathway for not just the next generation but generations to come of young athletes coming through who are told, 'you can't do this, you're not allowed do that'.
"She's knocked that door, not just knocked that door, she's kicked that door down.
"That's the piece that she will leave behind her. We could talk about the greatest athletes of all time or whatever... but I think the piece that she will leave and I think the piece that's undeniable is that she has created and built a platform for years to come for young athletes to get their opportunity to fight in the Olympic Games, to fight for world titles, to believe that they can headline Croke Park."
Dunne has had a nerve-wracking couple of weeks.
Aged 46, he retook his Leaving Cert Irish exam, and was a relieved man when the results came through.
"It was nearly as bad as doing the world title fight, to be honest," he laughed.
"The only thing I failed in school was my Irish Leaving Cert exam. I needed to put that right and at the age of 46 I decided, a week before the exam, that I was going to do it.
"Thankfully, we were able to survive a couple of low blows and get through it!"
Watch Katie Taylor v Flora Pili in their undisputed World Super Lightweight title bout live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Saturday from 8pm, listen live on RTÉ 2fm or follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app.