The Ring’s junior welterweight champion added the vacant WBC title to her IBF, WBA, WBO belts and leaves the sport as the undisputed champion at 140 pounds.

Taylor previously reigned as the undisputed champion at lightweight and junior welterweight. She is also an Olympic gold medalist and a five-time amateur world champion.

The 10 rounds of action and the resultant trophies and accolades were just a small part of an emotionally charged night.

Croke Park is sacred ground for Irish sporting fans, and the famous old stadium became a cathedral to the 40-year-old fighter from Bray whose humble, hard working demeanor has endeared her to her people as much as her long list of achievements.

The young girl who had to tuck her hair up into her headguard and pretend to be a boy in order to get fights would grow into the most well-known, influential female fighter in boxing history. And, Saturday, she became the first fighter to headline the huge stadium since the great Muhammad Ali stopped Al "Blue" Lewis there in 1972.

“We did it, we brought boxing back to Croke Park,” Taylor said after having her hand raised for the 26th and final time. “Everyone here, I had you with me before London 2012 Olympics. You were with me at the Excel Arena in 2012 [when she won Olympic gold].

“You were with me through the heartbreak of Rio. You stayed with me turning pro. You traveled around the world to watch me in Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds, Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan.

“Now you are here with me at this amazing stadium. I don't know of any other country that has sold 80,000 tickets for a female athlete. I'm convinced Ireland is the only country.

"She (Pili) is actually a very awkward opponent, a great opponent, so thank you so much to her for being involved in this epic night.”

Not one of the fans who fought for tickets for the chance to say goodbye to Taylor would have cared had she spent 10 rounds shadow boxing alone in the ring. But Taylor has never been one to seek an easy touch, and she saw out her career with the small matter of an undisputed title fight.

After a long build-up that included a performance by the Irish pop group, Westlife, and a performance of Irish ballad "Grace," Taylor (26-1, 6 KOs) and Pili (12-1, 2 KOs) made their way into a fevered atmosphere.

The 29-year-old French woman was a former European champion at 140 pounds but had never experienced an occasion like tonight’s. She held herself together during a very lonely ring walk and didn’t bite on any of the feints Taylor threw her way during a quiet opener..

Without landing anything significant, Taylor was controlling the action with her footwork and hand speed. Pili tried to apply pressure during a slightly more active third but her counter-punches fell short.

Managing to avoid getting carried away by the atmosphere, Taylor kept her distance, moved and boxed and made it extremely difficult for the slower Pili to get her feet close enough, quickly enough.

Clean punches were at a premium, but Taylor cleverly flitted in and out of range and made sure to launch her characteristic two-fisted flurries whenever Pili did step into the danger zone.

Clearly sensing that her best hope was to wear down the older fighter, Pili declared war in the seventh round and landed a nice left hand and a well-timed uppercut as Taylor started to slow. But, showing the experience that has brought her this far, Taylor almost instantly removed any drama from the fight by cleverly and wisely reverting to her in-and-out tactics.

As the clapper signaled the final 10 seconds of Taylor’s career, she cut loose, pushed Pili back to the ropes and let her hands go.

The scorecards were a formality, and the judges returned a unanimous decision. The scores were 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91.

Taylor’s in-ring achievements will earn her a place in the Hall of Fame, but maybe the biggest compliment she can be given is that she leaves women’s boxing in a completely unrecognizable state to the one she found it in.