Editing Christy Martin (section)

=== 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>