DUBLIN, Ireland -- Coach Ross Enamait has warned Katie Taylor her dream swansong at Croke Park will "be for nothing" if she loses to Flora Pili on Saturday night.
Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs) will fight for the final time in front of 80,000 fans for the undisputed junior welterweight titles against Pili (12-0, 2 KOs) who is unbeaten and holds the IBO title but is significantly less experienced than her opponent.
Tickets for the fight sold out in less than 20 minutes and promoter Eddie Hearn said it could be one of the biggest women's sporting events of all time. However, as the fight gets closer, Enamait and Taylor have said their primary focus is winning the fight on what is expected to be an emotional night.
"It's an amazing night, an amazing event but I'm trying not to think about it too much because we got to go out there and win the fight first," Enamait told Tuesday's pre-fight news conference.
"Otherwise, it was all for nothing we got to keep our head down.
"She's [Pili] a big 140 pounder, unbeaten. She doesn't care about the crowd or what this means to Katie or to Ireland. She's here to win and spoil the show.
"We got to keep our head down and do the job and we can enjoy it after."
Taylor has had a decorated, groundbreaking 10-year career as a professional which followed a successful amateur stint. She won Olympic gold in 2012 and was a five-time world champion.
While she is enjoying every moment of the build-up, Taylor told the auditorium in Dublin, which was full of her fans, that it's crucial she doesn't get too caught up in the occasion.
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"I still pinch myself that this is actually happening to be honest," Taylor said.
" [I'm] a few days away from making my last ring walk in Croke Park, this is an absolute dream. I think we can be very, very proud as a nation as well. I'm not sure there is any country in the world where 80,000 people are going to turn up for a female athlete.
"I don't want to reflect too much on it because I have a job to do. It's too dangerous of a sport to have your body in the ring and your heart out of it thinking of retirement. I have got a job to do, I'm focused on the job, but I have allowed myself to think about it over the last few months."
