Christy Martin: record, next fight and profile →
If the 52 years Christy Martin has been on this planet have proved anything, it’s that she’s a fighter, in and out of the ring. So, it is really no surprise that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s planning on delivering a fight card to fans in Daytona, Florida on August 15.
Katie Taylor saw her already incredible boxing career soar to new heights in the past year. The in-ring campaign she enjoyed clearly resonated with the boxing public and media alike, as the undefeated two-division was honored with the 2019 Christy Martin Award as the Boxing Writer Association of America’s Female Fighter of the Year. Ireland’s Taylor edged out record-shattering seven-division champion Amanda Serrano and long-reigning bantamweight titltist Mariana Juarez for top honors.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the members of the Class of 2020. Inductees include champions Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and “Sugar” Shane Mosley in the men’s Modern category; Barbara Buttrick in the women’s Trailblazer category and “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Christy Martin and “The Dutch Destroyer” Lucia Rijker in the women’s Modern category. Non-participants and observers to be inducted include promoters Lou DiBella, Kathy Duva and Dan Goossen and journalists Bernard Fernandez and Thomas Hauser.
In a pivotal year for women's boxing that saw the sport reach more people than ever before, two-time United States Olympic gold medal winner Claressa Shields continued to soar, as she successfully defended her two world middleweight titles, then added three super middleweight belts before the end of a campaign that earned her the 2018 Christy Marin Award, which is given to the Boxing Writers Association of America's Female Fighter of the Year.
Christy Martin had the crowds at the International Boxing Hall of Fame eating out of her hand. She had spoken of being stabbed and shot by her ex-husband, Jim, dragging her body, blood pumping from her, into the road to flag down a car, and she was still sounding strong and defiant.
By Thomas Gerbasi - Boxing was always the easy part for Christy Martin. It was everything else around it that occupied her mind and made her seek refuge in a place you wouldn’t expect to find peace. But she could always hit the heavy bag or her opponents and escape for a while from the mental and physical abuse that awaited her back at home. And there was seemingly no escape from that. For 20 years, Martin and her then-husband Jim put on a face for the world that portrayed them as the most unlikely boxing success story ever. Christy was “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Jim the man in the corner and behind the scenes who made it all possible. From Don King undercards to the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was the American Dream playing out before our eyes, though it was never what it seemed. That was evident when news broke that on November 23, 2010, Jim Martin stabbed his wife several times and then shot her. Left for dead in their Florida home, Christy was eventually able to escape and make it out to the street, where she flagged down a passing car which took her to a local hospital. She survived, and the story shocked anyone who saw it. “So many people that saw me fight saw me as a strong woman and someone that would never live in a domestic violence-filled relationship, not knowing the truth that I was in a terrible relationship for 20 years,” she said. “And if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.”
Table Mountain Casino on Friant, California - A grudge rematch fought at the contracted limit of 150-pounds, Mia St. John (46-11-2, 18 KOs) got revenge by winning the vacant WBC junior middleweight title with a ten round unanimous decision over Christy Martin (49-7-3, 31 KOs) in a battle of female boxing legends. The scores were 97-93 and 96-94 twice. Martinez, 44, won a ten round decision over St. John, 45, nearly ten years ago. Both female fighters vowed to retire after the contest was over.
By Thomas Gerbasi - For the better part of ten years, there was only one fight Mia St. John needed to get back in a pro boxing career that began in 1997. It wasn’t to avenge her first loss to Rolanda Andrews, throw hands again with Holly Holm, or to regain the WBC international title she lost to Brooke Dierdoff. No, St. John’s lone fistic desire before hanging up the gloves was to get a rematch with Christy Martin, the women’s boxing pioneer who decisioned her in a highly publicized 2002 bout. So even though she had not stepped into the ring since outpointing Tammy Franks in an October 2010 bout, she held out hope that one of the many people offering her fights would offer her the one she actually wanted. “I’m always going to be offered fights, and I think a fighter has to come to a point in their career where they accept that they can no longer do this, and be secure and confident in themselves to let it go,” said St. John in one of the more honest statements given by a professional prizefighter. “But I just felt like this is one fight that I couldn’t let go of, and until I accomplished that, I don’t think I’d be able to retire.” When you look back at Martin vs. St. John I, many fans and pundits saw it as a mismatch, a fight in which the Playboy covergirl was going to get mauled by the heavy-handed “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” But something happened on the way to Martin’s 10 round decision win – Mia St. John finally got her respect. Was she Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali in the ring? No. But what was lost over the years because of her looks and her prime placement on Top Rank’s Oscar De La Hoya cards was that this Mexican-American young lady did her roadwork like everybody else, worked long hours in the gym like everybody else, and took punches like everybody else. In other words, she was a fighter, no matter what the couch potatoes said, and in going the distance with Martin, it was a win everywhere except on the judges’ scorecards.
By Thomas Gerbasi - Christy Martin knew that getting to 50 wins wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t expect it to be this hard though. Since the 49th victory in her storied 23-year career over Dakota Stone in September of 2009, she’s been shot, stabbed, left for dead, has had broken bones and was shafted by a referee and doctor in California. And when you point out that her quest for number 50 has taken three years, the West Virginia native is quick to correct that math. “It’s been much more than three,” said Martin. “If we look back through my record, there’s been so many fights that I felt like I won, especially after leaving (former promoter Don) King. The fight with Valerie Mahfood in Houston (in July of 2008) obviously comes to mind. Even Valerie, who is a great person, she’s like ‘you won the fight convincingly,’ and for it to be a draw was very disappointing. Last year, the fight with Dakota, I’m ahead on points on all the cards, there’s less than a minute to go in the fight, and they stop the fight. Angelica Martinez (in October of 2006), that was the worst robbery. It doesn’t compare with (Manny) Pacquiao and (Timothy) Bradley, but I would say it was the worst robbery of my career.”
Jim Martin, the husband of famed female fighter Christy Martin, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for trying to kill her, according to Florida television station WKMG. Martin, 68, was convicted in April on charges of attempted second-degree murder, attempted voluntary manslaughter with a firearm, and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, local radio station WBDO reported at the time.