"Once Upon a Time"

1 September 2026

3 mins 12s

Without a match.

Irish boxer Katie Taylor is lionised in this impressive film for Matchroom Boxing by actor Barry Keoghan from the vantage point of a seat in a pub, from where all her accomplishments can be seen through the miracle of archive footage. Taylor was never short of ambition, as we can tell when we hear her young voice declare her aim to be the best in the world in one of the oldest pieces of film contained in Alex Haines's tribute.

The Irish music playing throughout is a continuous reminder that, from a UK point of view, she is theirs and not ours, even if her achievements have occasionally had British commentators attempting a little cultural colonialism.

Keoghan's everyman appeal makes him the perfect voice for this and his own rise to fame provides an accompaniment of sorts for Katie Taylor's ascendancy. It all adds up to a fitting way to kick off a series of events which will mark the beginning of the end of Katie Taylor's stellar career.

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