On This Day In Boxing History

1968: Christy Martin Was Born! 

Christy Martin

Born: June 12th, 1968

Birth Name: Christy Renea Salters

Birth Place: Bluefield, West Virginia

Sex: Female

Residence: Orlando, Florida

Pro-Debut: September 9th, 1989

Alias: Coalminer's Daughter

Division: Super Lightweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 4½″  

Reach: 64″  

Bouts: 59

Rounds: 285

Ko’s: 52.54%

Career:1989-2012

Record: 49-7-3, 31Ko’s

Born, Christy Salter, 1968, in Mullens, West Virginia, Martins father, John, was a coal miner, and her mother, Joyce, a homemaker.

She played various sports as a child including Little League baseball and all-state basketball. She attended Concord College in Athens, West Virginia on a basketball scholarship and earned a B.S. in education.

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. 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.

Martin started her professional boxing career at the age of 21 with a six round loss to Andrea Buchanan in 1989. Martin won the rematch one month later with a second round knockout. Andrea DeShong then beat Martin in a decision a five round decision. Martin then had nineteen consecutive wins, including two against Jamie Whitcomb and Suzanne Riccio-Major as well a rubber match win against Buchanan. On October 15, 1993 Martin had her first title fight against Beverly Szymansky, for the WBC women's Jr. Welterweight world championship. Martin won by knocking out Szymansky in three rounds. In her first title defense, she fought to a draw against debutant Laura Serrano in Las Vegas.

Martin defended her title six more times, including a rematch with Szymansky, a fourth fight with Buchanan and defenses versus Melinda Robinson and Sue Chase, winning all of them, before 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, in front of Showtime cameras. 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.

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. Martine then won her next nine more wins 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.

In 2003 Martin fought Laila Ali and lost by a knockout in the fourth round.

Martin's next fight in 2005 was a second round knockout against Lana Alexander in Lulu, Mississippi.

In 2005 a fight with Lucia Rijker, entitled "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.

Martin holds a record of 49 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws with 31 wins by knockout. 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. She was nicknamed The Coal Miner's Daughter in reference to her father's occupation.

March 16, 1996: Martin's six-round unanimous decision win over Deirdre Gogarty on , earned her recognition by the WBC as its nominal Female World Lightweight Champion. (the sanctioning body did not offer women's title belts for open competition at that time).

WBC Female Super Welterweight Championship: Martin defeated Dakota Stone by a 10-round majority decision September 2, 2009.

**** November 23rd, 2010, Martin was repeatedly stabbed and shot her in the back by Jim Martin after she told him that she was leaving him for a woman with whom she was having a relationship. She escaped when Jim, thinking she was dead, got in the shower to wash the blood off. She flagged down a motorist and begged him to take her to the hospital. In April 2012, Jim was convicted of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted manslaughter and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame: Class of 2020

1989: Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns II

WBC/WBO World Super Middle Title

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas       

June 12th

1916: Benny Leonard ND10 Johnny Dundee

1930: Max Schmeling beats Jack Sharkey by disqualification in 4 rounds in NYC for vacant NBA, NYSAC, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles; first time title won on a foul

1933: Jackie Brown W15 Valentin Angelmann

1934: Maxie Rosenbloom TKO5 Maxie Maxwell 

1946: Ike Williams TKO5 Bobby Ruffin

1959: Carlos Ortiz TKO2 Kenny Lane

1964: Emile Griffith W15 Luis Rodriguez

1968: Christy Martin was born Christy Salter in Mullens, West Virginia

1976: Rigoberto Riasco KO10 Livio Nolasco

1978: Medgoen 3K-Battery born.

1980: Ayub Kalule W15 Marijan Benes

1981: Larry Holmes KO3 Leon Spinks

Saoul Mamby W15 Jo Kimpuani, Detroit

1982: Michael Spinks KO8 Jerry Celestine

Leonardo Cruz W15 Sergio Palma

1983: Muhamad Ali took on the NHL Edmonton Oilers enforcer Dave Semenko in a three-round exhibition at the Northlands Coliseum, in Edmonton

1984: Rocky Lockridge KO11 Tae Jin Moon

1988: Sumbu Kalambay W12 Robbie Sims

1989: Sugar Ray Leonard D12 Thomas Hearns

1992: Joey Gamache KO8 Chil Sung Chun

1994: Saensor Ploenchit W12 Aquiles Guzman

1999: Byron Mitchell KO11 Frankie Liles

2004: Marcos Maidana debuts KO1 Adán Basilio Mironchik

2008: Edwin Valero KO7 Takehiro Shimada

Hozumi Hasegawa KO2 Cristian Faccio

2009: Carl Frampton debuts TKO2 Sandor Szinavel

Robert Guerrero TKO8 Efren Hinojosa

2010: Julio Cesar Miranda TKO5 Richie Mepranum

Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam KO8 Omar Gabriel Weis

Pawel Kolodziej KO12 Parfait Amougui Amougou

Ivan Calderon W12 Jesus Iribe

2015: Erislandy Lara W12 Delvin Rodriguez

Artur Akavov W12 Michel Mothmora

Melissa Hernandez W10 Loli Munoz