The name Christy Martin in the world of women’s boxing is the equivalent to the word superstar.  She has been the face of the sport for most of the past two decades and is currently in training for a comeback at the age of thirty-nine.  Her search for a world title begins July 18, 2008, at the Reliant Arena in Houston, TX, where she and Valerie Mahfood will be the main event of an entertaining fight card.  

 

Martin brings a record of 45 wins with 31 coming by way of knockout, five losses and 2 draws against Mahfood’s 19 wins, 14 losses and 3 draws.  The match between the two will be for the NABF middleweight title and fought at 160 pounds.  

 

Given all the success enjoyed by Martin throughout her career and her age, the logical question is why is she doing this?

 

“Well, I want to get myself in position to get fifty wins and also get a world title.  We are ultimately looking to challenge for a world title at 154 pounds for the WBC championship against Jiselle Salandy from Trinidad.”  

 

Considering the upcoming fight between Holly Holm and Mary Jo Sanders next month for pound-for-pound bragging rights in the sport, it would be an intriguing big money fight for Christy Martin to get the winner sometime down the road.  Is she interested?

 

“Actually, I did fight Holly Holm.  Right after the fight with Lucia was cancelled, I went to Albuquerque, and it was a mistake.  I went there, fought her….I really thought it was a track meet.  All she did was run and didn’t want to fight, so to go there again to fight her, I probably wouldn’t be interested, but if we can get her outside of Albuquerque I would.”

 

Perhaps no other female fighter has more experience in the fight game than Christy Martin.  Comparing the state of women’s boxing today to what she experienced in the late 1980s, Martin reflected, “Well, you know the sad thing is I think we are almost back to where it was when I started.  Back when I began, promoters weren’t really using women fighters too much, and they definitely weren’t paying them anything.  I had dressing rooms that were closets, and you were treated like a third rate person.  Now, the women fighters just aren’t getting the exposure….just not getting the opportunities that we were getting, or at least what I got from Don King in the 1990s.”

 

The mention of Don King by Christy Martin stirred memories in me of her exciting fights on Mike Tyson undercards where she was totally outclassing and knocking out every opponent in dominant fashion.  When asked what it was like fighting on those mega cards, Martin said, “It was unbelievable.  I don’t know if people realize I am truly the coalminer’s daughter because I am a coalminer’s daughter.  I’m from such a small town in southern West Virginia.  There were maybe like 300 people in my hometown.  There were 86 people in my graduation class, and that included the children of four or five towns put together in one high school.  From such a small town, and to actually sit across a table from Don King….it’s unbelievable.  Every fight he put together, it wasn’t just a fight….it was an event.  He just blew everything out of proportion because it was Mike Tyson, Felix Trinidad, Julio Ceasar Chavez, Evander Holyfield, so I came along with Don at a great time for boxing.  I always say that I was in the right place at the right time, and Don King gave me a wonderful opportunity.  Jim (her trainer and husband) had me ready, in shape and technically sound, and we always went out there and put on a good performance.  It was just the right place at the right time.”

  

Without question, it was the right time and place for Christy Martin, but what advice would she give to young female fighters on the way up trying to make a living in this sport?

 

“It’s a man’s world, and I just tried to just fit in.  You don’t have to run out there and try and make women’s boxing a separate sport.  It’s not advanced enough to stand on its own yet like women’s golf or tennis.  You need to just fit in.  My advice, young fighters need to surround themselves with good people they can trust.  That’s definitely number one.  If it’s really what you want to do, you have to be dedicated.  It’s 24/7.  When you actually step into the ring, it has to be full steam.  You have to be in great shape and put on a great show.  What pushed me was I always felt like people were looking to see what kind of mistake I was going to make.  They were waiting for me to do something stupid….something like what a girl would do in the ring.  Therefore, that really pushed me to fight for two minutes each round….no lull in the action.  I think that’s what the women have to do.  That’s what’s expected….to go out there and be an action-packed fighter.”  

 

When asked about the most gratifying moment of her career, surprisingly Martin did not mention one of her victories in the ring.

 

“I was the Grand Marshall for the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.  I was actually terrified to go there.  When I was offered the opportunity and they asked if I would do it, I said no.  I was scared, but Jim and some of the guys that were helping with the PR basically said no, you don’t understand.  You can’t say no to this.  I was like, no, you guys don’t understand.  I am going to go up there with guys like Carmen Basillio, Gene Fullmer….Archie Moore was there at the time….I mean some of these awesome, great champions.  I thought they were going to kill me.  They don’t want women boxing.  The exact total opposite happened.  They told me I fight like them….you go to war, so it was the total opposite of what I thought would happen, and I haven’t missed a year yet since then at the Boxing Hall of Fame.”

 

Asked how she feels about Laila Ali being the current face of the sport, Martin responded, “The three biggest names that have been out there would have to be Mia St. John, Laila Ali and Christy Martin.  Mia had something to sell….sex.  You know?  Her body….she’s pretty.  Laila had something to sell….her last name.  Christy Martin?  I just had to go out there and fight.  I passed the torch on to Laila, and you know what?  She couldn’t keep it lit, so here I am back.”

 

Reminiscing on her own mega fight with Laila Ali back in 2003, Martin focused on her opponent’s size and power being big factors in the loss she suffered.

 

“I was still very confident.  I felt like she had never been hit like I could punch and I really felt like I could win the fight.  But the first right hand she threw, I never recovered from it, so people don’t realize that.  I hadn’t watched the fight in years and recently watched it, so I can say at least I stood in there and tried to fight.  I did try to fight her back, but I couldn’t recover.  I didn’t realize how tall she was going to be.  I knew she was going to be heavier, but I had sparred with guys my whole career, so the strength and weight didn’t worry me as much as when I was actually with her and saw how tall she was.  I knew then it was going to be tough.”

 

Obviously, Christy’s age is going to be a big question mark as she steps back into the ring this summer, but she discounts the concern.

 

“By the time the fight gets here I’ll be forty.  I feel great.  I don’t feel forty.  It’s hard for me to believe I’ve been at this for almost twenty years, but I feel great.  One of the guys I spar with basically before all my big fights….he was telling Jim afterwards that I was stronger and faster than ever.  I’ve been moving my head a lot and keeping my hands up.  I’m definitely wiser.  Also, you look at some of the older guys like Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley.  They have had over 200 amateur fights, so that’s wear and tear that I don’t have on my body.  I’m more relaxed in my training.  We’re back to doing things we were doing fifteen years ago….a lot of rounds on the hand pads, a lot of rounds in the ring….I’m working hard.  Especially fighting Valerie Mahfood, she is in great shape.  I know I’m going to have to work hard, throw a lot of combinations, and I expect it to be a tough fight.  Definitely keep an eye out for me coming back.  My goal is to defeat Valerie Mahfood in Houston on July 18th at the Reliant Arena and step into a world title fight.”