Christy Martin

Christine Renea Salters (previously Martin, born June 12, 1968), nicknamed "the Coal Miner's Daughter", is an American former professional boxer, boxing analyst, and motivational speaker. Competing from 1989–2012, she held the WBC female super welterweight title in 2009. Martin was the first female boxer elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016. She was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, the first year that women were on the ballot.

Martin was born Christy Renea Salters on June 12, 1968, in Mullens, West Virginia. She attended Mullens High School.

She played various sports as a child including Little League baseball and all-state basketball. According to Martin, from "5th or 6th grade" she knew that she is lesbian. She was in a relationship with her basketball teammate Sherry Lusk throughout high school, of which her parents disapproved. She attended Concord College in Athens, West Virginia, on a basketball scholarship and earned a BS in education.

In her memoir Fighting for Survival, Martin states she was sexually abused as a child by a family friend.

Throughout her career, Martin was nicknamed "the Coal Miner's Daughter" in reference to her father's occupation.

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 draw with 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.

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, Nevada, on January 29, 1994.

On March 16, 1996, the fight that many credit for putting women's boxing on the sports fans' radar took place. Martin and Deirdre Gogarty fought what many consider a great fight, on the 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. On April 15, 1996, Martin became the first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline read, "The Lady Is a Champ".

Martin made a special guest appearance on the television series 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 Holewyne 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 Lula, Mississippi.

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.

Martin holds a record of 49 wins, 7 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, and was the first woman to sign with him. He signed Martin in October 1993 following her third-round knockout win against Beverly Szymanski.

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. 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 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.

Martin was among the first inductees in the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.

In 2016, she became the first female boxer inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. 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 lack of stamina and double vision.

In 2020, she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and was elected to it in 2019, the first year that women were on the ballot.

Martin married her manager, James V. "Jim" Martin, in 1991. At the time, Martin was 22 while her husband was 47. Martin referred to the marriage as one of convenience and stated her husband was emotionally and physically abusive throughout their relationship, and enabled her addiction to cocaine to control her. She also claimed he used her prize money to pay for an extravagant lifestyle.

Martin married former ring rival Lisa Holewyne on November 25, 2017.

In March 2010, Christy Martin reconnected with her high-school girlfriend Sherry Lusk over social media. Sometime later, Martin told her husband she wanted a divorce. On November 23, 2010, Christy Martin was stabbed several times and shot at least once in her torso and left for dead by her husband, 66-year-old James V. Martin. The attack reportedly occurred after an argument in their Apopka home.

She survived the attack. On November 30, 2010, James Martin was arrested and taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center after he stabbed himself. He was booked in Orange County Jail and charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

In April 2012, James Martin was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder. Two months later, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the mandatory minimum sentence. James Martin died on November 26, 2024, while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility.

• In 2021, Netflix released Untold: Deal with the Devil, a documentary chronicling Martin’s career and personal life.

• Christy, a biopic of her life starring Sydney Sweeney, premiered in September 2025 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in theaters on November 7, 2025.

• Christy Martin Official Website
• Christy Martin Female Boxer Biography
• Boxing Record from BoxRec
• Biography from the International Boxing Hall of Fame