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Taylor declines to get into specifics—in the 2018 docu-
mentary, Katie, Taylor references an affair Pete had that
led to a separation from Bridget—but calls that time a
“low point” in her life. “It was the toughest decision I
probably had to make,” she says. “I felt like it was the
right decision. And I think my integrity means more to
me than anything, and I just felt like I had to make that
tough call. But I knew it would cost me, big time.”
It did. Three months before the Rio Olympics, Taylor
lost in the semifinals of the world championships, ending
her five-year reign. The gym, once a happy place, had
become a hollow one; some days she would drive in with
tears streaming down her face. Training without her
father, says Taylor, was “like missing my right arm.” At
the Games, Taylor was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Critics wondered whether she was finished. Taylor knew
she just needed a change. She teamed up with Enamait.
“I started to enjoy it again,” says Taylor.And she sent a DM to Eddie Hearn, the promoter who
runs Matchroom Sport. I’ve been seriously considering turn-
ing pro the last few months, it read. I think I could do for
women’s pro boxing what I did for the amateur sport. Initially,
Hearn was skeptical. “Women’s boxing, on a commercial
level, didn’t exist,” says Hearn. But he knew Taylor had a
global profile. And a fan base. So he signed her.
Her first pro fight, against Karina Kopinska in London,
was effectively an audition. “I don’t think Katie knew
how much pressure was on her,” says Taylor’s manager,
Brian Peters. Taylor stopped Kopinska in the third round.
“She f------ looked unbelievable,” says Hearn. “Sitting in
the pocket, ripping body shots.” Equally important: More
than 1,000 ticket-paying Irish fans came to support her.
Things moved quickly. She won a title in her fifth pro
fight, became a unified champion in her ninth. Wherever
Taylor goes, enthusiastic crowds follow. When she fights
on undercards, Hearn says, he often worries about how
many fans will leave before the main event. Before Taylor,
Hearn never considered promoting women’s boxing. Now
he has the largest stable of women fighters in the sport.
“That’s all because of Katie,” says Hearn. “I don’t think
she realizes what she has done for women’s boxing.”IN AUGUST 2 0 12, Taylor stood on a dais in Bray, a
sea of humanity stretched out in front of her. More than
20,000 supporters packed the Irish coastline to welcome her
home after her gold-medal performance. Weeks earlier, at
the Olympic boxing venue, Taylor’s fans registered a decibel
level of 113.7—the kind of noise normally generated by jet
engines. “We don’t have royalty in Ireland,” says Peters.
“But Katie is the queen.” Onside, a sponsorship adviser,
has named Taylor the country’s Most Admired Sports
Personality five years running. In 2018, Conor McGregor
popped into Taylor’s locker room after a title defense in
Boston and told her it was “an honor” to watch her fight.
Remarkably, Taylor has never fought professionally in
Ireland. She declines to address it specifically. Those around
her won’t, either. What it boils down to, sources close to
Taylor say, is this: MTK Global, a boxing management com-
pany founded by alleged drug trafficker Daniel Kinahan,
is heavily involved in boxing in Ireland. A Taylor show in
Ireland would have to include MTK fighters. Put MTK
fighters on, however, and there is a risk of violence from
the company’s rivals. In 2016, several gunmen, dressed as
police and carrying assault rifles, opened fire at an MTKweigh-in in Dublin and killed a close Kinahan associate.
According to one source, law enforcement officials have
asked Taylor’s team not to do a show in Ireland, citing the
security risk. “It’s really sad,” says Taylor. “To go my whole
career and not fight in Ireland is very disappointing. But
right now it just can’t happen.”
As she prepares for Amanda Serrano, though, Taylor
is in a good place. She has reconciled with her father.
He isn’t involved with her training—Enamait admits he
has never met him—but is, says Taylor, “very support-
ive....We have a very good relationship.” She is settled
in Connecticut after buying a house in Manchester in- And Madison Square Garden will feel like Ireland
on April 30. More than 7,500 tickets for Taylor-Serrano
were sold in the first week. After initially hoping for a
crowd of 10,000, Hearn is buzzing about the possibility
of selling the 20,000-seat arena out. The girl who once
fought for the right to fight will now have boxing’s biggest
stage. “All the sacrifices that I have made along the years
are worth just for this moment alone,” says Taylor. “But
this isn’t just for myself and Amanda. This is for the next
generation of fighters. We are bringing the whole sport up
with us. This is exactly the legacy that I want to leave.”
Taylor says, “[The Serrano bout] is for
the next generation of fighters. We are
bringing the whole sport up with us.”
TAYLOR VS. SERRANO