Editing Christy Martin (section)

==Biography==

=== Early life ===
Martin was born Christy Renea Salters on June 12, 1968, in [[Mullens, West Virginia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Christy Martin |url=http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/women_modern/martin.html |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=International Boxing Hall of Fame}}</ref><ref name="Women Athletes">Outstanding Women Athletes: Who they are and how they influenced sports, Janet Woolum [https://books.google.com/books?id=DWmCWO6SpsYC&dq=Christy+martin+boxer&pg=PA181]</ref><ref name="wban.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.wban.org/biog/cmartin.htm|title=Women's Boxing: Christy Martin Biography|publisher=|access-date=June 30, 2009|archive-date=July 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708030857/http://www.wban.org/biog/cmartin.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and attended [[Mullens High School]].<ref>{{cite web |title=BOXER WEARS LIPSTICK, AND SHE IS A WINNER |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-01-29-9401290077-story.html |website=OrlandoSentinel.com |date=January 29, 1994 |accessdate=August 4, 2020}}</ref>

She played various sports as a child including [[Little League Baseball|Little League baseball]] and all-state basketball. According to Martin, she was aware she was a [[lesbian]] from "5th or 6th grade."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2021-06-24 |title=The life and near death of prizefighter Christy Salters-Martin |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/christy-martin-prizefighter-life-and-near-death/7/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> She was in a relationship with her basketball teammate Sherry Lusk throughout high school, of which her parents disapproved.<ref name=":1" /> She attended [[Concord University|Concord College]] in [[Athens, West Virginia]], on a basketball scholarship and earned a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in education.<ref name="Women Athletes" /><ref name="wban.org" />

In her memoir ''Fighting for Survival'', Martin states she was sexually abused as a child by a family friend.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Christy |url=https://doi.org/10.5771/9781538153598 |title=Fighting for Survival |date=2022 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-1-5381-5359-8}}</ref>

=== Career ===
Throughout her career, Martin was nicknamed ''The Coal Miner's Daughter'' in reference to her father's occupation.<ref name=":0" />

Martin is said to be “the most successful and prominent female boxer in the United States” and the person who “legitimized” women’s participation in the sport of boxing.<ref name="Women Athletes"/> She began her career fighting in “Toughwoman” contests and won three consecutive titles. She then began training with boxing coach, Jim Martin, who became her husband in 1991.<ref name="Women Athletes"/>

Martin started her professional boxing career at the age of 21 with a six-round draw with [[Angela Buchanan (boxer)|Angela Buchanan]] in 1989. She had her first training under the direction of Charlie Sensabaugh of Daniels West Virginia. Martin won a rematch with Buchanan one month later with a second round [[knockout]]. [[Andrea DeShong]] then beat Martin in a five-round decision. Martin then had nineteen consecutive wins, including two against [[Jamie Whitcomb]] and [[Suzanne Riccio-Major]] as well as a rubber match win against Buchanan. On October 15, 1993, Martin defeated [[Beverly Szymansky]]. Martin won by knocking out Szymansky in three rounds. Martin fought to a draw against debutante [[Laura Serrano]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref name="wban.org"/>

Martin's next fights included a rematch with Szymansky, and a fourth fight with Buchanan. In 1993 Martin signed a promotional agreement with International Hall of Fame Promoter Don King that would put her in the international spotlight. Her first fights in that new agreement would be against [[Melinda Robinson]] and [[Sue Chase]] on the undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez vs Frankie Randall fight in the first ever fight card at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, NV on January 29, 1994. [[Christy Martin vs. Deirdre Gogarty|the fight that many credit for putting women's boxing on the sports fans' radar]] took place: On March 16, 1996, she and [[Deirdre Gogarty]] fought what many consider a great fight, on the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] pay per view broadcast of the Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno WBC Heavyweight Championship. Martin got the decision, and after that bout, she began to gain more celebrity, even appearing on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' once shortly afterwards.<ref name="wban.org"/> (Specifically, on April 15, 1996, Martin became the first female boxer to appear on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'';<ref name=":Martin12">{{Cite news |last=Tumin |first=Remy |date=August 17, 2022 |title=Famous, But Not Free |work=[[New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/sports/fame-boxing-christy-martin.html |access-date=October 5, 2022}}</ref> the headline read, "The Lady Is a Champ".<ref>{{cite web |title=Christy Martin, Boxing Sports Illustrated Cover by Sports Illustrated |url=https://sicovers.com/featured/christy-martin-boxing-april-15-1996-sports-illustrated-cover.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803012043/https://sicovers.com/featured/christy-martin-boxing-april-15-1996-sports-illustrated-cover.html |archive-date=August 3, 2022 |access-date=August 3, 2022}}</ref>)

Martin made a special guest appearance on the television show ''[[Roseanne]]'' in season 9, episode 6, "Pampered to a Pulp".

Martin won her next eight bouts including wins against Robinson, DeShong, [[Marcela Acuña]] and [[Isra Girgrah]]. Martin lost her title in a 10-round decision loss to [[Sumya Anani]] in 1998. Martin then won her next nine fights including wins against [[Belinda Laracuente]], [[Sabrina Hall]] and [[Kathy Collins]].  Martin won her next two fights by ten-round decisions against [[Lisa Holeywine]] and [[Mia St. John]].<ref name="wban.org"/>

In 2003 Martin fought [[Laila Ali]] and lost by a knockout in the fourth round.<ref name="wban.org"/>

Martin's next fight in 2005 was a second-round knockout against [[Lana Alexander]] in Lula, Mississippi.<ref name="wban.org"/>

In 2005 a fight with [[Lucia Rijker]], titled "Million Dollar Lady", was canceled because Rijker ruptured her Achilles during training.

On September 16, 2005, in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], Martin lost a 10-round unanimous decision to [[Holly Holm]]. Martin was beaten by the 23-year-old southpaw, with all three judges scoring for Holm.<ref name="wban.org"/>

Martin holds a record of 49 wins, 7 losses and 3 draws with 31 wins by knockout.<ref name="wban.org"/> She is a frequent visitor of the [[International Boxing Hall Of Fame]] annual induction ceremonies, and an avid autograph signer. She has fought on the undercard of boxers [[Mike Tyson]], [[Evander Holyfield]], [[Félix Trinidad]] and [[Julio César Chávez]].

Martin was promoted by [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]], and was the first woman to sign with him.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Feldman |first=Jacob |title=Where Are They Now: Former boxer Christy Martin |url=https://www.si.com/boxing/2016/07/01/christy-martin-boxer-career-shooting-domestic-violence |access-date=August 30, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 2016 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="wban.org" /> He signed Martin in October 1993 following her third-round knockout win against [[Beverly Szymanski]].<ref name="Don:3">{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Malissa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ErHAwAAQBAJ&dq=Christy+Martin+Deirdre+Gogarty+bout+play+by+play&pg=PA192 |title=A History of Women's Boxing |date=June 5, 2014 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-2995-2 |pages=194–209 |language=en |access-date=September 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910191728/https://books.google.com/books?id=_ErHAwAAQBAJ&dq=Christy+Martin+Deirdre+Gogarty+bout+play+by+play&pg=PA192 |archive-date=September 10, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Final bouts and retirement ===
Martin announced on January 19, 2011, that she would be fighting again in hopes of her 50th career win on the undercard of the [[Ricardo Mayorga]] vs [[Miguel Cotto]] fight at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 12, 2011, against Dakota Stone in a rematch of their 2009 Fight.<ref name="aol.com">{{cite web |title=Sports News & latest headlines from AOL |url=http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/christy-martin-rematches-dakota-stone-on-march-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124024604/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/christy-martin-rematches-dakota-stone-on-march-12/ |archive-date=January 24, 2011 |access-date=January 25, 2011 |work=AOL.com}}</ref> The fight was postponed due to a rib injury to Martin. The rescheduled rematch  took place June 4, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles on the [[Julio César Chávez Jr.|Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.]] vs [[Sebastian Zbik]] undercard. Dakota Stone prevailed by TKO with :51 left as Martin broke her right hand on a punch in the fourth round and could not continue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Martin Breaks Hand, Stone Wins By TKO |url=https://www.womenboxing.com/NEWS2011/news060611martinstone.htm |accessdate=January 3, 2025 |publisher=womenboxing.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dakota Stone Stops Christy Martin in Six Rounds |url=https://www.boxingscene.com/dakota-stone-stops-christy-martin-six-rounds--39967 |accessdate=January 3, 2025 |publisher=Boxing Scene}}</ref>

=== Post-retirement ===
Martin was among the first inductees in the [[International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iwbhf.com/news071014inaugural-2014-induction-ceremony.htm|title=First International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame 2014 Inaugural Induction Ceremony|publisher=iwbhf.com|accessdate=January 1, 2025}}</ref>

In 2016, she became the first female boxer inducted into the [[Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/15487/nevada-boxing-hall-of-fame-class-of-2016-announced|title=Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2016 announced|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=January 1, 2025}}</ref> That same year, ''Sports Illustrated'' reported that she was working two jobs, as a substitute teacher and helping military veterans find work, and that she was dealing with the after effects of her career, including dealing with lack of stamina and double vision.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/article64804002.html|title=Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame to induct 11, including 1st woman|work=thenewstribune|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309080420/http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/article64804002.html|archivedate=March 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxingjunkie.U.S.today.com/2016/03/08/first-female-voted-into-nevada-boxing-hall-of-fame/|title=First female voted into Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame|work=Boxingjunkie}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-christy-martin-george-diaz-0805-20160804-column.html|title=Christy Martin finally stands alone as boxing Hall of Famer|first=George|last=Diaz|website=orlandosentinel.com|date=August 4, 2016 }}</ref> 

In 2020 she was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]]; she was elected to it in 2019, the first year that women were on the ballot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schilken |first=Chuck |date=December 4, 2019 |title=Christy Martin and Bernard Hopkins headline Boxing Hall of Fame class |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2019-12-04/boxing-hall-of-fame |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tumin |first=Remy |date=August 18, 2022 |title=Famous, but Not Free |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/sports/fame-boxing-christy-martin.html |access-date=August 29, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>