They called her The Coal Miner’s Daughter. Christy Martin started her career in 1989 and put women’s boxing on the map when she defeated Deirdre Gogarty on the Tyson-Bruno undercard in 1996. In fact, Tyson was so impressed with the two-time WBC boxing champ’s performance that he purchased her a new BMW. Shortly thereafter, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Laila Ali and UFC women’s champion Holly The Preacher’s Daughter Holm were the few blessed with the skill set to defeat Martin in the mid-2000’s. Martin later went through multiple personal problems that included a three-year cocaine binge and an attempt on her life by an abusive husband.
Finally, in 2012, after a career that spanned more than 22 years, Martin faced an old nemesis, Mia St. John, during a retirement match in Friant, California. In the last few seconds of the bout, Martin fearlessly put her hands down, stuck her tongue out at St. John, smiled, and took her rival’s shots like they were tequila.
According to ESPN:
Mia St. John defeated Christy Martin in a unanimous 10-round decision for the WBC female super welterweight championship at Table Mountain Casino in Friant, Calif., on Tuesday.
St. John lost to Martin when the two fought a decade ago. After the bout both women, St. John, 45, and Martin, 44, announced they would retire.
“If she wants to retire, I’ll retire, too,” said St. John, according to the Fresno Bee. “I just wanted to retire with the WBC belt around my waist.
“We started together, we’re ending together. We’re two legends and we’re going out at the same time.”
St. John’s career record is 47-11-2. Martin, a two-time WBC champion, finished 49-7-3.
I’m just that athlete that always wants a little more,” Martin told ESPN one year before her match with St. John. “I don’t want to be one of the fighters that stays around too long. But if I can still go out there and raise a little hell in the ring, and get the fans on their feet, give them what they want to see, I want to do that.
