(February 12th) "Irish Boxing Legend” Katie Taylor is making a special guest appearance tonight, Thursday, February 12, 2026, at the All-New England Golden Gloves Tournament at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.

The tournament features amateur boxing matches starting around 7 p.m. ET, with Taylor attending as a special guest to support the local boxing community. She will be introduced in the ring during the event.

The Vernon, Connecticut, Bray, Ireland transplant Taylor will sign autographs and pose for pictures from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. A $25 donation to The Lowell Sun Charities is required to participate in the meet-and-greet.

Taylor, affectionately known as the “The Bray Bomber” is an Irish professional boxer widely regarded as one of the greatest female boxers ever began as an amateur standout, winning five straight Women's World Championships, six European Championships, and Olympic Gold at lightweight in London 2012, Ireland's first medal in women's boxing Taylor turned pro in 2016 quickly claiming the WBA lightweight title in her seventh fight against Anahí Ester Sánchez.

Compiling a record of 23-1, 6 KOs (her single defeat an avenged majority decision loss to Chantelle Cameron in May 2023), “The Bray Bomber” became the undisputed lightweight champion (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) in 2019 by defeating Delfine Persoon—a feat she repeated at super lightweight in 2023 after beating Chantelle Cameron. Her wins include a historic 2022 Madison Square Garden headliner against Amanda Serrano and their 2025 trilogy victory. Taylor currently on hiatus as the WBC "Champion in Recess," hinting at retirement as rumors of a potential Croke Park farewell still swirl.

For tickets to tonight’s event or future tournament events (click here) or ( here ).

All-New England Golden Gloves Tournament

Every year in the Golden Gloves they’re a new flock of boxers trying to work their way up from the bottom in hopes of advancing their way to top of the competition. The Gloves has been a tradition in New England since 1947 and sells out the Lowell Memorial Auditorium every year. "It's only there to give kids a way out of a lifestyle and to promote the sport of boxing along with good health, good training, exercise and confidence."

When you win the Golden Gloves, you don't get paid, you get the respect of your community; that's very important to a young kid, as it gives them confidence to build their life upon.

Lowell, Massachusetts has a great tradition of boxing dating back 79 years ago. When you go to a Golden Gloves show in Lowell, you know that it is unlike other boxing shows or any other sporting event in general. There is electricity in the air, fans get a certain charge when they watch these fighters give every ounce of themselves for something that can't be seen or touched. 

This yearly event to the combatants is that, it's not about prizes; it's about pride. Many of the fighters who range in age from 18-40, are not even on a path to the pros or even the Olympics -- they are simply there to say they fought in the Golden Gloves.