Katie Taylor announces break from boxing to focus on 'personal matters'

Katie Taylor, the undisputed super lightweight champion and one of Ireland's most elite athletes, has declared that she is going on an indefinite break from the sport of boxing to attend to her personal matters.

The WBC announced that Taylor has thus vacated her WBC super lightweight title and will now assume the status of "Champion in Recess."

A pause for Katie Taylor after a defining trilogy

Just a few weeks after a hard-fought win in the July 2025 trilogy fight against Amanda Serrano was secured by her, Taylor declared her pause. New York was where it had taken place, with a majority decision going in favour of Taylor, closing this much-celebrated rivalry in women's boxing with one final high.

After another win, Taylor was still unsure about her future in the sport.

At 39, with multiple world titles to her name and an illustrious career spanning Olympic gold and professional dominance, she seemed to be carefully considering her next step. Promoter Eddie Hearn was asked about whether she would be continuing or retiring and replied that her position was 50-50, with her probably considering her love for the sport against other personal priorities.

Titles on the jeopardy and what comes next

With Taylor stepping away, the WBC has approved a fight between Chantelle Cameron and Sandy Ryan for the newly vacated super lightweight belt. Both represent the next generation of elite performers in this division and will be looking to progress from the platform Taylor has built. While this at least guarantees that the title remains active, there is no doubt that Taylor's absence will leave a big hole at the apex of women's boxing.Katie will, for a time, have this designation: "Champion in Recess," meaning that if she were to ever return, she would be likely to reclaim the title. It allows her to at least have the option to return to competition for the title without having to work her way back up through the ranks.She is yet to give any information about this absence or what personal matters she must attend to, but it does demonstrate her choice to prioritise life outside wrestling after years of training, steering all alone.Also Read: Mike Tyson Admits to Using Fentanyl for Pain Relief During His Boxing Career: “It Was Like Heroin!”That decision might be a pause for now rather than a full stop, but even if she does not return, her imprint on boxing shall be forever there. Her legacy as a trailblazer and a great champion of the sport stands firm, regardless of whether she does indeed return or retires.