Katie Taylor is proud of the impression she has left on boxing ahead of her swansong against Flora Pili this Saturday at Croke Park, Dublin.

The Irish great will aim to win one last junior welterweight belt, and become undisputed champion for a third time, to complete a fairytale ending to a career that has changed the face of women’s boxing.

The 40-year-old first laced up a pair of gloves aged 12. Back then, girls could not compete in amateur boxing in Ireland, so Taylor boxed under the name Kay as a boy. She would go on to become one of the leading voices in bringing women’s amateur boxing into the Olympic Games for the first time in history in 2012, winning a gold medal for Ireland.

Following her decision to turn professional in 2016 with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, Taylor made a mark on the paid-ranks, winning undisputed titles at 135lbs and 140lbs, and allowing more female fighters to follow in her footsteps. When Taylor turned over women were paid small purses and rarely allowed a slot on televised cards. Now that is not the case.

“It's amazing. When I first had that meeting with Eddie 10 years ago, women's professional boxing was pretty much non-existent,” Taylor told BoxingScene. “We were making pennies, and here we are, 10 years later. Look at the progress that's been made. It's been amazing progress in one generation. I'm so proud of where it's gone. Every single card right now pretty much has a female fight. The strength and depth female boxing might have is absolutely incredible.”

The now 25-1 (6 KOs) Taylor may be walking away from the sport this weekend, but she wants it to continue to grow without her.

“[They just need to] keep getting involved in the biggest fights and inspiring the next generation,” Taylor said. “That's been my thing all along. I want to be involved in the biggest fights possible. Best fight the best. It's very, very important. We want to see female boxing at its very, very best.”

Following her third victory over Amanda Serrano in July put their trilogy to bed, Taylor admitted she questioned fighting again.

“There were lots of doubts in between. Lots of doubts whether I'd fight again,” she said. “Lots of doubts whether this would happen. In the middle of all this, I also lost my sister-in-law, my grandmother as well. It's been a very, very tough season for the family. It's just given the whole family a bit of a boost, I think, having this Croke Park moment.”

The lure of that perfect ending, by fighting at the national stadium of Ireland – something that has escaped Taylor across her career – proved too much to resist, however.

“It really has been an impossible dream over and it became a reality,” said Taylor. “Thank God for the people involved as well. [My promoter] Eddie Hearn [and my manager] Brian Peters, every single person who made it happen. An amazing moment and a tough challenge ahead of me.

"So I have to be at my very, very best, but this is just the icing on the cake for me. This could be my most iconic moment in the sport. And that says so much because I've had amazing moments in my career. The Olympics, Madison Square Garden, fighting on the same show as Mike Tyson. All of this has been amazing.”

Boxing has consumed Taylor’s life for nearly 30 years, she will now have to come to terms – as all fighters do – with walking away from the sport that has brought her incredible nights.

“It's going to be a big change, for sure, but you have to stop at some stage,” she admitted. “You can't keep going. I'm going to reflect on my whole career, look back and say, ‘Wow, what a career.’ I've lots of stuff lined up for you. These last few years have been beyond my wildest dreams, honestly. I didn't even have the capacity to dream of these things, and here we are. It's been absolutely just unreal.”

So, there would be no way of tempting Taylor back after Saturday night?

“This is going to be my last fight,” she said. “I'm going to be stepping into that ring for the last time. It's quite surreal, and thank God for an amazing career.

"I want to end on a high, though. It's very, very important that I end my career well.”